Silent Steel
by Richard Ryley
Summary: A continuation of MZephyr's "Silent Horse". Just a short couple of chapters based around this more thoughtful version of Ranma meeting his mother. EPILOGUE ADDED: This doesn't really add anything, just clarifies a few plot points.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes:

This fanfic is based on "Silent Horse", by MZephyr. While I definately recommend reading that fanfic, just because it is that good, I think I have covered enough of the backstory here that you should not need to have read it first. This story does spoiler some details of "Silent Horse", including the main plotline, so if you'd rather not know those details you should read "Silent Horse" first.

The Ranma of "Silent Horse" is quite different from the canon, more thoughtful and accepting of Akane and his female form. Akane is different as well. It should be obvious why partway in, but if you aren't expecting this, they may seem out of character. My use of pronouns when referring to Ranma can also be more fluid than usual, again because both Ranma and Akane have come to think of it that way.

The whole idea of this fanfic came about because of a picture in my head, of Nodoka talking to Akane with a sleeping Ranma-chan in her lap. I'm not really sure where the picture came from, but it led to this. I had noticed that MZephyr's fanfic did not reach the point in the canon where Ranma finally got to meet his mother, and perhaps I just wanted to see that plotline come up, since MZephyr had managed to resolve all of the others.

The "steel" of the title refers to Nodoka's katana, but it is also a comparison between Ranma's female side, and the strength of her mother.

* * *

"Silent Steel"

by Richard Ryley

based on "Silent Horse" by MZephyr

Chapter 1

Akane sat watching TV in the family room, when she heard Ranma come in. "Tadaima..." she called out half-heartedly, her voice the soprano of her female form. Akane immediately noticed the sense of depression and resignation in her tone.

"Ranma... are you okay?"

As she came into the dining room, Akane immediately noticed Ranma was wet. Not that she wouldn't expect that, given her current form, but she was soaking wet, her red hair clinging to her face. It wasn't raining, so that was somewhat surprising.

"The ladle lady got me again," Ranma said with a long-suffering sigh. "Then I slipped on the fence and fell into the canal. I feel like an idiot. I knew my feet were wet, I should have been able to compensate..."

"Oh, Ranma, come here." Akane patted the place next to her, at the low table. Even though she had started to think of Ranma as a boyfriend, she still knew he was in need of comforting sometimes.

Ranma looked down at her boy's school uniform. "Give me a minute to change. Don' wanna get you all wet..."

A few minutes later, she came back downstairs from her bedroom. She was still in female form, but had changed into a tank top, and her usual black pants. Akane could see the haunted look in her eyes, as she walked over to the table. She sat down and folded her hands in her lap, looking thoughtful.

Akane shuffled over, and took Ranma's hand, leaning against her shoulder. Ranma hesitated only a second, but then she put her arm around her girlfriend, drawing her closer. Akane waited, silently, knowing something else was bothering her, but letting Ranma decide whether she wanted to talk.

"I ran into a couple of the boys from school," she said finally. "Just jerks, a couple of them, no one I knew. But... they whistled and stared at me. 'Cause... I was... wet... y'know..."

Akane nodded. When wet, the white shirt of the Furinkan boy's uniform became almost transparent. All right for a boy, but not for a girl. Particularly not a girl as well endowed as Ranma's female form. Akane had noticed it herself, as Ranma came in.

Ranma's voice was kind of quiet, though, not angry or frightened. Ranma was always quiet, really, after being mute for so long, but this was different. She seemed sort of... accepting. Akane wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. "What did you do?" she asked.

"Well, at first I was going to clobber 'em. I read 'em the riot act about oglin' me, like I always do. But then..." she paused, her expression far away. "Suddenly... it just didn't seem to matter any more. They had this look on their faces... like they were scared an'..."

She sighed. "Eh... all of a sudden I wasn't mad any more. It just... didn't seem worth it."

Akane ran her hand over Ranma's hands, comfortingly. Then she looked into her blue eyes. She loved those eyes, they were so expressive, in both of his forms. "I remember, you were pretty upset, the first time it happened... your shirt got wet like that. I was surprised you took it as well as you did, but I know it still hit you pretty hard."

Ranma nodded. "I felt a lot more scared on the inside that I was on the outside," she said, in that quiet voice. "I wished I could talk to you about it. But just having you there made me a little less scared."

Akane hugged her a little closer. She loved that voice, too. Both of Ranma's voices, she had gone for so long hoping one day to hear them, and it was still a bit new to her. Ranma's male voice was very nice, very soothing, although it wasn't really very deep. The way he spoke to her, though, so slowly and thoughtfully, it somehow made her feel warm inside.

Ranma's female voice, though, there was something about it that spoke to her own strong, feminine personality. She got the impression that at one time that voice had been tough, independent, filled with confidence and disdain for those who were not so skilled as her. The night in which she had nearly been raped had shattered that confidence, but it had left her voice soft and gentle, throaty and yet with an edge of steel underneath it. She felt things deeply, happiness, rage, shame, and fear, and it all came through loud and clear in her female voice.

"It just suddenly hit me, they weren't the monsters I was seeing in my mind. Sure, they're perverts, but that's just the way guys think. Believe me, I know, although I would never say anything like that to you, or do that to you, Akane." She looked into her eyes, and she saw the man behind the female face, studying hers. "But they're just boys. They don't know any better."

The look in his eyes made Akane's heart beat faster, and she hugged him, as much for that as to offer her friend comfort. Ranma looked down, though, her thoughts still somber.

She was quiet for a few more moments. When she finally spoke, it was with a harsh finality. "I guess I finally realized that like it or not, this is the way I am now. Pops pretty much proved that the Nannichuan isn't a cure. I'll be lucky if I don't end up even worse of a freak than I am now. At least as a man, I am a man, and as a woman, I am a woman."

It took Akane a few moments to work though the apparent change of subject. "Are you sure? Your father jumped in the Nannichuan in panda form. Maybe if you're in your natural form you'll be cured."

"I don't dare take that chance." Ranma shook her head firmly. "I could end up... well, you saw Pop. I don't want to think about all the ways my male and female parts could mix up, but..." She sighed. "None of it would be pretty."

Akane put an arm around Ranma's back, leaning against her shoulder again. "I'd still be there for you. Even if you did... end up like that. You're still you, no matter what you look like. But you're probably right. I know I wouldn't want it to be any worse for you..."

Ranma wrapped both arms around Akane, pulling her closer. Akane smiled from the warm familiarity of it. They'd only held each other a couple of times like this, since she and Ranma had begun dating. But long before that, it was Akane that was holding Ranma through the night.

When she had first come to the Tendo home, traumatized and tortured with nightmares of her rape, Akane had shoved her fears of sleeping with a boy aside and stayed with her. It hadn't been easy, of course, but it had built a trust between them, stronger than Akane had ever thought possible. Later, their nights together had been limited to once a week, but they were still important to her. It was a way of reaffirming their friendship and reliance on each other, not in a romantic way, but something deeper and, Akane hoped, more enduring.

"Are you... well, are you comfortable being a girl, Ranma? I mean, I know you've said you hated your curse."

"Yeah, but..." Ranma's voice turned thoughtful. "I hate what happened to me, of course. And I hate some of the things I've had to face because of it. But I think I'm starting to realize the curse isn't so bad. It's like Mitaka-sensei said... well, she didn't say so in so many words, but it's normal to have both...a masculine side and a feminine side. I guess the curse just lets me get in better touch with it."

Akane was silent a moment, a bit shocked by this admission. Then again, despite the fact that Ranma insisted that he was a boy, and Akane thought of him as a boy, he really showed a very soft, vulnerable side, without even thinking about it. From time to time, Akane could see the echoes of what was probably a pretty arrogant jerk behind his words and actions, but for the most part, that part of him seemed to be in the past.

"At first, I hated the curse. The curse made me weak, it made me vulnerable. It made me able to be... well, raped. It's still hard to say. Part of me just wanted to turn back into a guy and forget the whole thing happened. Being a girl reminded me of what happened, and if I hadn't met you... I probably would have come to totally hate my girl side. I would probably freak out every time I became a girl."

"But the curse also brought me to you." Ranma looked into Akane's eyes, and she felt her breath catch in her throat. "It allowed you to trust me, let me... let you comfort me... in... in your bed." Ranma swallowed. "It allowed me to... to accept that... um... comfort... To not think it made me... weak."

Her voice had become very quiet, now. "I don't think I could have... opened up to you... like that, if I hadn't been a girl. You trusted me, of course, and I felt I could trust myself. And even though being a girl made me think about what happened to me, it also helped me confront it. With your help... I was able to go to Mitaka-sensei, and confront the N-Neko-ken, and deal with Pop, and all of it..."

Ranma fell silent, then, and she was silent for a long moment. "I'm... I'm not sure what to think of all this, though. I... I don't know the first thing about being a girl, and I'm NOT a girl. When... when those guys were whistling at me, my first thought was to be sick, you know, disgusted about the idea of me being with a guy. But this is a girl's body, and... well... a fairly attractive girl's body at that." She smiled a little, self consciously, but with a hint of pride. "It's not so surprising that boys would want to look at it."

"Maybe, but..." Akane thought for a moment. "... it really doesn't mean anything without respect. I mean, a girl wants to feel pretty... *I* want to feel pretty, but I don't want boys leering at me like the perverts they are. I want them to... I dunno, show me a little appreciation."

She squeezed Ranma's body a little tighter, not minding its softness. "Y'know, like you do..."

"Thanks, Akane." She hugged her back. Akane snuggled a little closer. They fell silent again, and in the momentary pause, they heard the sound of the front door opening. "Tadaima!" came Kasumi's pleasant voice.

"We're in here!" Akane called back.

Kasumi joined the two in the family room, only to smile broadly at the two teenagers snuggling up to each other. "Oh, my. How sweet."

They both blushed, but did not move apart. "Ranma had a bit of trouble on the way home," Akane said, by way of explanation. "Some boys were giving him a hard time." She said the word 'boys' with her usual grumbling emphasis.

"Are you all right, Ranma-kun?" Kasumi was all concern.

"I'm fine. Actually, I think that's what's bothering me, that it's not bothering me so much. I think I'm realizing that there's a difference between... being 'interested'... and wanting to FORCE someone to do something..."

Akane nodded, looking a little thoughtful herself.

"Anyway, I was also saying I'm a little more comfortable being a girl. Even though it still feels wierd, it's doesn't feel as wrong as it used to. It has its good sides, though." She grinned at Akane.

"Well, that's nice, Ranma...-chan." Kasumi grinned widely. "Why don't I make some tea?"

Ranma and Akane nodded at her question, and so Kasumi headed for the kitchen. There was yet another long moment of silence, and then when Ranma again spoke, her voice was hesitant.

"Um... Akane? What do you think of my girl side?"

"I told you, you are who you are. It doesn't matter to me." She snuggled a little closer again.

"No, but... I mean, what about... you know... dating and all that stuff. Me being a..." she swallowed. "Boyfriend. I, uh, am a boyfriend, right?"

Akane chuckled lightly. "Of course you are."

"But... I mean, what do you think of the way I am, right now? Does it... bother you?"

Realizing Ranma was serious, Akane looked up into her eyes. There was a very old pain there, one she had seen since the very beginning. "What do you mean?" Akane asked, knowing full well what he meant.

Ranma sighed deeply. When she spoke, her voice was almost too quiet to hear. "How can you want a freak like me? I'm not even... I'm not even. I'm not either. Aren't you worried that... you..." She fell silent, blushing deeply. There was no way she could finish that thought.

Akane almost just hugged Ranma and dismissed his fears. But something made her stop. She looked into those blue eyes, the darker blue of his female form, yet still with that male spirit inside them, and thought about her answer. Finally, she asked, "Ranma Saotome, which do you feel you are?"

"I'm a man, I know that. I always have been. Or at least..." She paused a moment.

Akane waited for her to say something, but she didn't. Finally, she offered, "Well, *I* think of you as a guy. But maybe... maybe that part of you that I was afraid for, the part that made me think about how I felt about boys, and whether I was being fair to you, maybe that part WAS more like a girl. I mean... I did say that if you were a girl, I wouldn't hesitate to... well, to hold you through the night, to keep away the nightmares." She blushed a bit.

Kasumi came in with the tea, and Akane took one of the cups, without letting go of Ranma. "Maybe it was because I was able to see you as a girl, that I was able to accept you as a guy. To realize that a guy... well, that you weren't that different, and maybe I could trust you."

"And I think of you as a man as well, Ranma-kun," Kasumi added, with her supportive smile. "Just because your body changes, that doesn't change the core of who you are. But if that's what you're afraid of, I don't think exploring some of these thoughts makes you... less a man."

Ranma was thoughtful for a second. Akane could almost see her running through what she was going to say, as if she was going to write it down. "I don't think that really bothers me any more. I mean, Pops always said that I had to be a man in all things, and insulted me by calling me a girl. So of course whatever Pops said, the truth must be the exact opposite. I've decided I... well, I HAVE a female side, and I've decided that's okay."

"It's what you think that matters most to me, though." Ranma looked up into Akane's eyes. "If it makes you... um... uncomfortable..."

Akane thought for a moment. She was, again, about to say that it didn't make her uncomfortable, but she had to admit it did. Her first thought was to kiss Ranma, to show her that it wasn't a bother, but then the thought of Kasumi sitting there watching them made her balk. She probably would have hesitated anyway, she told herself, but she also had to admit Ranma being female did make a difference.

After a few moments, though, thinking about it, feeling Ranma's arms around her, and how he made her feel, she suddenly realized what she had to do.

Akane sat up. "Ranma, come here. I want to show you something."

The redhead flinched a bit, not sure what Akane was suggesting. Akane patted her lap, though, and with confusion in her blue eyes, Ranma edged closer. Akane took her hand, and gently guided Ranma to sit in her lap, her long legs extended out across the floor, her body pressed against Akane's chest.

Gently, Akane wrapped her arms around Ranma's smaller form, drawing her into a warm embrace. Ranma stiffened a bit, but Akane put a hand to her red hair, encouraging her to lay her head against her chest. Ranma's face was glowing red with embarrassment now, but she slowly began to relax into it.

Akane stroked Ranma's hair, speaking to her quietly and soothingly. This was like when she comforted her in the night, she thought, especially at first, but then they were laying down. There was something different about this embrace, it was how Ranma held her, at times. How he... she had held her when they had been attacked by Ryoga, and Ranma was protecting her. The warmth of that memory was something she always cherished.

"This is how you hold me sometimes. It feels good, doesn't it? I can protect you, too, you know? I've got no problem letting that part of myself out. So I've got no problem with this side of you. And if that's what you want... I can hold you like this anytime you want."

She caught a glance at Kasumi out of the corner of her eye, but still didn't hesitate. As Ranma looked up at her, her female face shy and uncomfortable in her arms, Akane bent down and gently kissed those soft lips. It was a different kind of kiss, not that they had kissed that many times, but it was different enough that Akane felt the effect of Ranma's change on her, the surrender that she felt in her female form. The last of the tension faded from her body, and Ranma seemed to mold herself to Akane's own softness.

Her own face was blazing with heat as she ended the kiss, and she risked a look at Kasumi out of the corner of her eye, but Akane was glad to see she was smiling. She looked back at Ranma, to see her eyes closed.

"You're you, Ranma, no matter what body you're in. And you know... well, I am a bit of a tomboy, myself." Akane grinned a bit, her voice mischievous. "So yeah, I'm a little uncomfortable with this, but not so much I can't handle it. I... I... you're my friend, Ranma. A... a lot more than a friend. If I can't accept all of who you are, then I'm not much of a friend."

Ranma leaned her head against her, smiling. "Thank you, Akane. I... this is nice."

Akane chuckled. Kasumi muttered an, "Oh, my," which caused Ranma, who had forgotten she was there, to blush. But she smiled. "I think that we have all enjoyed seeing the two of you get along so well. I do hope that the two of you take your time at such things, and behave properly, of course. But there is no need to think about such things just yet." She was quick to add that, to forestall their blushing protests.

She stroked Ranma's red hair. "We all feel that way, Ranma. We're your friends... your family, and if this is something you want to explore, then we are happy for you. You have..." her eyes became misty. "You have both made each other so happy. I only hope it gets even better."

"Now, I'm sure you two want your privacy. Although I will be watching over you, of course." Her eyes twinkled as their blushes deepened. "But I accept you too, Ranma, and Akane's feelings about all this as well."

She paused a moment, then smiled again. "And Ranma... if you have any questions or worries about your female form, you can ask me anything. I suspect you would probably rather talk to Akane or Mitaka-sensei about it instead, but just remember, I'm here for you. I would be happy to help you find out more about this side of yourself."

She got up to walk to the kitchen. Just before she left the room, she paused a moment, as if debating whether to say something. Finally, with a hint of mischief altogether out of the ordinary for her, she commented, "For one thing, Ranma-chan, you may wish to consider... proper support. There is the question of the boys teasing you, of course, but also... if you intend to spend any time in that form, if you do not start wearing a bra you may... well... come to regret it."

Kasumi left the room, but Ranma had become beet red. "No way..." She muttered. "I'm not doin' that."

Akane hesitated a moment. "Well, it is true, what she said... if you had been wearing one... the boys wouldn't have seen as much."

Ranma shuddered. "I'm not sure that would be any better. No... No, I'm not gonna."

She had become tense again, and buried her face into Akane's chest. Akane rubbed her back, reassuring her. She didn't want to lose the mood they had gained. "It's all right, Ranma. We'll take it a step at a time. If you're not ready for that, you're not ready for that..."

There was a moment of silence as Akane thought a bit more. "You might start taking to wearing, like, a tank top under your uniform. You've got plenty, and it would keep the boys from seeing... you... when you get wet."

"Yeah, I guess that could work." Ranma relaxed again, and Akane pulled her closer.

Blushing a little, Akane continued. "You know... when you get wet... um... you know... parts of you become more visible. When you get... cold. Wearing something under your shirt should hide that."

Ranma grew warmer against her. "Yeah... I know..."

"And... uh..." She wasn't sure she wanted to say this. "Well, Kasumi is right. There's... um... gravity, and stuff. If you don't... support yourself... as you get older..."

Ranma looked up at her. "Eh?" Akane snickered a little that she didn't get it.

"They don't stay like that forever, Ranma. Eventually, they... sag."

"Oh..." She looked a little stunned, and confused.

Akane hugged her. "Don't worry about it, though. You probably don't have to worry about it as much, since you only spend part of your time as a girl. Gravity isn't... you know... pulling at you... all the time. And a bra doesn't have to be a frilly, girly thing. There are probably some sports bras you wouldn't mind wearing, maybe even as a guy. Or maybe you could... like combine one with a tight t-shirt so no one would know..."

"I don't usually use sports bras myself, but I could pick some up if you want to try them. And they would... well, they'd hold you pretty tightly. They'd make you look a bit... flatter."

Ranma looked up at her, and she saw the glimmer of a teasing insult in her eyes. She didn't say anything, though, and Akane could almost hear the wheels turning, as Ranma considered whether to say it. She managed a silent count of five before Ranma finally spoke.

"I can see why you wouldn't wear those. You wouldn't want to be any flatter."

Akane grinned widely at the mischievous smirk on Ranma's face. She punched her lightly on the arm. "Oh, you." Then she drew her in tight for an embrace, which Ranma returned, with a contented sigh.

After half a second, though, Ranma realized she was pressing her face against Akane's breasts. She almost jerked back, but then suppressed the reaction with just the slightest twitch to show her discomfort. "Um..." she began. "You don't mind... um... me... here... leaning... um... against..."

Her soft voice trailed off, as embarassment closed up her throat completely. Akane found her own heart start to pound, her face growing hot. But she managed a smile. "Well, if you're gonna insult them..."

Ranma giggled. "They're pretty, then," she said, dreamily, her voice growing quiet. Then her blush got even deeper, if that was possible. "Um... I mean... if you don't mind my saying so..."

"No, baka. I don't mind." Akane found herself somehow relieved. She pulled the redhead closer, letting her cradle her head against her breasts. She was intensely aware of how intimate the embrace was, but somehow that was all right.

Ranma relaxed again, and Akane stroked her hair, savoring the contact. Ranma began to breathe softly against her, and muttered, "You're right. This is... wonderful." There was a slight pause, and then a wistful question, shaky and insecure. "Do I... do I make you feel... like this?"

"Yes, Ranma."

"I'm glad..." Her voice was almost a whisper now, and Akane held her tightly, listening to Ranma's gentle breathing. After a few moments, even before she began to snore softly, Akane realized she had a sleeping redhead in her lap.

"Honestly," she muttered, with a hint of amusement. "He can fall asleep anywhere."


	2. Chapter 2

"Silent Steel"

Chapter 2

Akane turned back to the TV, to try and watch her show again. That proved impossible, though, as her mind kept coming back to the warm and feminine body in her arms. Akane was glad she had done this. It did feel right, somehow, and a lot of her worries were fading away. She would have to talk to Mitaka-sensei about it, but she felt she would probably say it was the right thing to do.

She gently kissed Ranma on the top of the head. Turning to lean her shoulder against the table, Akane felt herself begin to doze off as well. Thus, she wasn't sure how much time had passed, when she was awakened by a chime from the door.

Kasumi came out of the kitchen, but immediately noticed Akane was occupied, with the sleeping Ranma still in her lap. Nodding to Akane, to let her know she wouldn't disturb them, she hurried to the door. "Just a moment."

There was a short pause, as Kasumi spoke to whoever was at the door. Akane couldn't make out the words, but she could tell it was a woman. And for a moment, Kasumi sounded startled, although she quickly recovered.

A few minutes later, Kasumi came into the living room, with a matronly looking woman. She looked slightly familiar, although Akane couldn't place why. She was wearing a kimono, and had a very traditional look about her. Akane noted that she was carrying a bundle with her, fairly long, and tied to her back.

She seemed fairly nice, and smiled at Akane in a friendly manner. There was a sense of strength about her, though, and a loneliness in her eyes. As Akane studied her, she realized that her hair, while dark, had a faint reddish tone to it, almost maroon. For some reason she could not fathom, Akane found herself looking down at Ranma's flaming red hair.

Kasumi cleared her throat. There was a hint of discomfort in her eyes. "Akane, this is an old friend of Father's. Nodoka Saotome."

Akane would have leaped to her feet in shock, had she not immediately remembered the petite girl sleeping in her lap. Somehow, she managed to keep seated, although she could not keep the surprise and shock out of her eyes. Nodoka had obviously noticed, as she smiled at her kindly.

"Has your father mentioned me? It's been such a long time..."

Akane found herself blushing. "Um, no, not really. He did mention you once. It's just... a surprise, is all..."

"I see. Well, I was just telling your sister that I remembered seeing her, when she was a very little girl. I never got to meet you, though, although your father did tell us about you, in the letters he sent my husband. We lost touch, though, and I always regretted that. You've grown up into such beautiful young women."

Akane blushed deeply, but Kasumi, of course, had the proper response. "Thank you, Saotome-sama," she said, bowing. "You honor our father with your praise."

Nodoka smiled. "Call me Auntie, Kasumi, please. It is your mother that you both take after. You have her manner, Kasumi."

Her expression then turned sad, and she bowed. "I was quite sorry to hear about your mother, by the way. I am sorry that it took me this long to give your family my condolences."

Kasumi bowed again as well. "Thank you again, Auntie Saotome." Akane regarded her sister for a moment, noting how much her elder sister and the Saotome matriarch seemed alike. Both were very proper, yet kind and compassionate, the very image of the ideal Japanese woman.

Akane couldn't help be jealous, but she found it a little easier than usual to put that aside. After all, Ranma had said that she should be Akane, not Kasumi, and that he liked her as Akane. He liked looking at her. Akane looked down at the girl still peacefully asleep in her arms. At the time, the thought had kind of confused and worried her. Now, she felt warm inside, knowing that Ranma liked to look at her.

He even said her breasts were... pretty.

"And who is this?" Nodoka asked, as she looked down at the two lovers snuggling on the pad on the floor. She could see the intimacy between them, but seeing as they were both women, and Akane was holding the other girl so protectively, she guessed they were just close friends.

Akane's eyes widened as she remembered the situation. This was obviously... Ranma's mother! And there was no way he would want to be introduced to her like this. She glanced up at Kasumi, hoping for some help, but Kasumi looked lost as well.

Swallowing, Akane decided a half truth was better than nothing. "This is Ranma. She's a friend of mine. Uh... we go to school together. Several months ago... something awful happened to her. I found her, and I've been trying to take care of her, comfort her.

"This afternoon some boys were teasing her, and she felt really bad. So... I held her until she could fall asleep."

Akane glanced up at Kasumi, who raised an eyebrow at Akane's explanation. Akane just shrugged.

"Poor dear." Nodoka ran a hand through the girl's red hair. "That's funny, though. I have a son named Ranma."

Akane had been expecting that. "What a coincidence. Um... You must be very proud of him."

Kasumi's eyebrows went up even further at that comment, but Nodoka didn't notice. She shook her head. "I haven't seen my son in over ten years. He and my husband left on a training trip, and I haven't seen them since."

Akane swallowed, but managed an understanding nod. Kasumi stepped forward to show Nodoka to a seat at the end of the table. "Why don't I make some tea, while the two of you visit."

"Thank you, Kasumi, that is very kind of you." Nodoka looked over at Ranma, and stroked her hair again. "She reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age. My hair used to be that red, too. Such an unusual color for a Japanese... and Ranma is such an unusual name for a girl..."

"So it's been ten years since you last saw your husband?" Akane kept her voice nonchalant, hoping Nodoka wouldn't recognize her changing the subject for what it was. "That's about the same time my mom died. Is that why you stopped visiting?"

Nodoka nodded. "Indeed. I am sorry I lost touch with Tendo-san, but he had always been closer friends with Genma anyway. They trained together, you know, and both founded their own branches of the school of Anything Goes. Does your father still teach the Art?"

Akane frowned. "Not since mother died. I have tried to carry on, by myself, but it's been hard. I love the Art, though. I want to be a great martial artist, and I don't plan to give up until I am."

"My, but that's... an unusual dream for a young woman like yourself. Don't you wish to have a family and raise many children?"

Akane felt herself start to get angry, but she suddenly felt Kasumi's hand on her shoulder. "Akane has been through... some experiences similar to Ranma here. It has left her a bit... unsure of her feelings about boys." She looked down into Akane's eyes. "Besides, she is too young to be thinking of such things. In this day and age, a girl needs to complete her education, and be prepared to fill her role in society."

Nodoka smiled. "Of course, you are right, Kasumi-chan. There is no hurry." She patted Akane's hand reassuringly.

Akane did not miss the fact that Nodoka regarded both her and Kasumi as if they were small children, who did not know better. However, she also had several months of Mitaka-sensei's therapy behind her, and she had learned to control her temper. Kasumi's interruption had also given her the time she needed to calm her nerves, and get herself back under control. Thus, she was able to meet Nodoka's gaze with an equally warm and friendly smile.

"I've thought about it, of course, Auntie. I would hope any husband I would find would love the Art as much as I do. And I hope he would help me, and I could help him, that we could work together, and we could raise a family together as well. I'm still a little frightened by all of that..." she looked down, blushing, but then met Nodoka's eyes again. "But I want to be a woman. As WELL as a martial artist."

Her smile widened. "I don't think I could ever be a quiet and gentle woman like you and Kasumi are, though. I'm a bit of a tomboy, and I don't mind it. It's who I am. I... speak my mind, and I get angry sometimes. I don't think I could be... calm and quiet, always so smiling and happy, like Kasumi." She took her sister's hand, smiling at her, and Kasumi smiled back. "If I did, it just wouldn't feel right. It would just feel... fake."

"I don't know," Kasumi said, giving her little sister's hand a squeeze. "I think you can be very caring and supportive. When it's someone you really care about."

Akane watched as Nodoka searched her eyes, and then the older woman's smile broadened. She'd won a bit of respect, and Akane felt herself glowing a little with pride. She looked down at Ranma, wishing he had been awake to hear her make that admission. It had been hard to let go of her worship of Kasumi, her drive to be like her, and yet Ranma had given her the strength to do that. He had helped her find the strength within herself.

"You are very much like your mother," Nodoka said. "She had your same fire, and yet carried herself with such grace and pride. She and I often argued... but more often than not because I knew she was right."

Nodoka smiled at her, and Akane found herself grinning back. "Would you like to hear more about your mother, Akane? You were very young when she died. Six? Or Ten?"

Akane found herself biting her lip, to keep away tears. She shook her head, though. "I would very much like to talk about Mother, Auntie. But surely you did not come here to talk about that. Are you... do you think Father might have heard something from your husband? Because they used to be old friends?"

"That was part of it, yes." Nodoka settled back in her seat, picking up the teacup Kasumi had set down for her. "I was hoping to speak to your father. But Kasumi tells me he is out and will not be back for several hours."

Akane stole a glance at her sister. Of course, Soun had gone to visit with Genma for a while, since he was not allowed to stay at the Tendo home. They still got together to play shogi fairly frequently, although so far her father had done a good job of resisting Genma's attempts to help him play matchmaker between their two children.

It was too early to tell Nodoka that, though. "It's true, he's usually out in the afternoon visiting with friends. My sister Nabiki hasn't gotten home yet, either. She'll probably be showing up any minute now, though." Akane frowned at the thought of Nabiki spilling the beans, either because of the surprise, or just her normal tendencies. Sometimes Nabiki could be hard to predict.

"I thought at first that this was your sister Nabiki," Nodoka said, stroking Ranma's hair gently. "Although I can see now there's not much resemblance." Nodoka was again struck by the girl's resemblance to herself, but dismissed the thought as nonsense.

"I'll be glad to see her again, too, though. When I last saw her, she was just a baby."

"Well, until Father gets home, maybe we can help you. Why don't you tell us when you last heard from Saotome-san," Kasumi suggested. She took a seat on the side of the table opposite from Ranma and Akane, and picked up her own teacup.

"Well, it's been ten years since I saw them, as I said. Genma would send me postcards from time to time, though, telling me where they had travelled, and what they had seen. He also told me how Ranma was doing at his martial arts. He was getting very, very good, my husband said, and he was very proud of him. You'd probably like him, Akane, he loves the Art as much as you do."

Akane had to smile at the irony. "I'm sure I would."

"For ten years, the postcards came pretty regularly, although only about one every six months or so." Nodoka sighed forlornly. "It is not enough to have only a few postcards every year, instead of your son. I have missed my little boy so much, and wanted to see him again so badly. I wonder if he even knows me. If he will even recognize me, after all this time..."

At that moment, Ranma stirred in her arms, and Akane began to shush and soothe her. She wondered for a moment if Ranma was picking up on any of this in his dreams, and if it was bringing up bad memories for him. She hugged the girl a little tighter, absently rocking her as she cradled her in her arms.

Nodoka noticed the exchange, although she just assumed the girl was fretting in her sleep. She lowered her voice a bit, and Akane smiled at her gratefully.

"Anyway, about a year ago, the postcards just stopped. Genma had mentioned something about he and Ranma going into China. Can you imagine that? But after that... nothing." She lowered her head. "I... I fear the worst has happened. They ran into something in China that was too much for them, and my husband and my little boy are..."

There was a moment of silence that hung heavy in the room, and Akane flashed Kasumi a guilty look. She almost blurted out the truth then and there, but held herself back at the last minute. Even so, as she looked into Kasumi's eyes, the elder girl nodded to her, and Akane knew what she meant. As hard as it might be, they would have to tell Ranma's mother the truth.

She looked down at the redheaded girl still slumbering in her arms. She mostly looked peaceful and happy, but had clutched a little more tightly to Akane, as if sensing that her life was probably about to be turned upside down yet again. *I'll be there for you, no matter what,* Akane silently promised him, running her fingers through Ranma's hair. It was his place to tell this story, and Akane would need to wake him up soon. But not right now. She would give him a few more minutes of peace. And check on a few things herself, first.

"Auntie... there is something I need to ask you about. Something about your husband and my father."

"Yes, Akane, what is it?"

She took a deep breath. "I don't know whether you know of this or not. But it's the reason I reacted the way I did when I heard your name." *Well, it's one reason I reacted*, Akane said to herself, to keep her statement from being a total lie. "Father tells us that he and Genma had an arrangement, before we were born. They had an agreement... to join the two schools of Anything Goes Martial Arts."

Nodoka's eyes widened, obviously a little surprised to know the two girls had learned of the pact. "Oh, that promise. Yes, I knew of it. Why do you ask?"

"Would you hold Ranma to such an agreement? To marry him to someone he doesn't even know?"

Nodoka's eyes narrowed, at the tone of challenge in Akane's voice. Akane, for her part, didn't flinch back, but kept her expression even.

"Well, it was my husband's fondest wish that the two schools be joined. And it would be the best for both of our families for them to be joined as well. So I would say yes, unless there was a good reason not to, I would hold Ranma to it."

"And love... or that he didn't love the girl he was forced to marry," Akane's eyes flashed. "Would that be a good enough reason?"

"It would depend. I would leave it to Ranma to decide if honor bound him to marry one that he had fallen in love with. But I would hope honor would lead him to choose his family."

Akane frowned, but this didn't seem to be going too badly. "What if my father had decided that he did not intend to enforce that agreement? That he would not call on any of his daughters to marry unless they wished it? What would you say to that?"

Nodoka looked a bit startled, but then she seemed to relax. "That is his decision. But it does make the question of honor easier. I would certainly not bind Ranma to a decision that Soun Tendo did not wish to bind him to."

Akane smiled, relieved. With a smile of her own, Nodoka added, "I was not really a part of that agreement, anyway. I admit it would be nice to see you and my son meet, given as you are both martial artists. But I would be much happier if he were to fall in love with you, and you with him, all on your own." She put a hand on Akane's. "You are a very nice girl."

"Maybe... I am not so nice," Akane glanced at Kasumi. "I am sorry, Auntie, but I am afraid we have not been entirely honest with you. The truth is... I do know your son Ranma."

"What!" Nodoka looked startled, and nearly dropped her cup.

Akane waved her to be quiet, stroking Ranma's hair. Nodoka fell silent as the girl twitched, but drifted back into sleep. Akane bit her lip as she looked up, but kept her voice low. Her hand absently rubbed against Ranma's back, reassuringly.

"I met Ranma about six months ago. He had run away from his father. Yes, run away," She said, in response to Nodoka's expression of shock. "From what I have heard, Genma abused Ranma really badly. You had no way of knowing, of course, but his life on the road was harsh, more harsh than anything I could ever imagine." She shuddered, remembering her own training in the mountains, and the horror of seeing Ranma go into the Neko-ken.

"I happened to meet him, and at first we had no idea who he was. He was so angry with his father, he refused to use his name." Nodoka drew back, as if struck. "He had no idea he had come to the house of the man who had arranged for him to marry one of his daughters, and we had no idea he had come to us. To us, he was just a boy in need of a home."

Akane breathed deeply, giving herself a minute to collect her thoughts. "A little later, we found out the truth. I... I actually got really mad at Ranma. I accused him of trying to trick me, to force me into accepting this engagement with him. He insisted that he had no intention of doing that, that in fact he had no idea that he had even accidentally stumbled across us until Father mentioned that he had known a Genma Saotome. Father agreed to drop the engagement for... well, a couple of reasons. Not the least of which was that we wouldn't have trusted each other at all if he hadn't."

Nodoka seemed to be calming down, but Akane was noticing an anger behind her eyes. Who it was directed at, she wasn't sure, but Akane bravely went on anyway. "Over time, that changed. I grew to really trust Ranma. REALLY trust him. In... a way I've never trusted any boy. We've grown close... we've..." She blushed. "We've even started dating. So in a way... I guess... it's almost like Ranma and I were meant to be together anyway."

Her voice grew soft, dreamy. "I... he means a lot to me. So you can understand why I would be protective of him. I've... I've met his father, and I'm not too happy with that... man. Ranma isn't either. I didn't... I didn't know if you would be like that, Auntie. I'm sorry I didn't trust you right away. But..."

Akane sighed. "I had to know, Auntie. I had to know if... I would tell you where to find your son."

Nodoka studied her for a long moment. There was that anger in her eyes, but she seemed to be thinking over a lot of things. Finally, she said, "You have no right to keep me from my son."

"No... but he has the right to decide if he wants to see you." Akane chose not to meet her eyes. "I just wanted to make sure... whether I would tell him now, or tell him later."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Just a minute, Auntie. I should wake... well, Ranma up. She can go get your Ranma."

Akane shifted her position, sitting Ranma a little more upright. "Ranma? Ranma, wake up?"

As usual, Ranma was so deep in sleep it was difficult to wake him. Akane shook the girl, slapping her face lightly. "Come on, Ranma. Wake up. You've been sleeping long enough."

"Huh? Whaz goin' on?" Ranma stirred, her blue eyes opening. She looked up at Akane, then frowned. "Lemme sleep, tomboy."

Nodoka smiled a bit at the affectionate awakening. Akane found herself smiling a bit in return, but kept her focus. She would have to word this carefully.

"Ranma. Ranma. Wake up. There's someone here who wants to meet my boyfriend. You know, the OTHER Ranma." She shook Ranma again, and the girl stared at her, bleary-eyed.

"Ranma. You know, I need you to go get the OTHER Ranma."

Suddenly, her expression cleared, and confusion set in. She looked around, spotted Kasumi, and then finally found Nodoka, sitting to the other side of her. All of a sudden, she leaped out of Akane's arms, and settled onto the pad next to her.

"Oh... um... eh... hello... sorry 'bout that." She was blushing deeply, but Akane put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Akane put her hand up on Ranma's chin to turn her face to meet her eyes. Locking her gaze on Ranma's, she spoke very clearly and deliberately. "Ranma, this is Nodoka Saotome. She is Ranma Saotome's mother. She hasn't seen her son in ten years."

Ranma's eyes widened, and her head snapped around to look at the woman. "M... Mo... Mother?"

Akane grabbed her chin again, and just as quickly, turned it back to her. "Yes, that is Ranma's mother. He's upstairs in his bedroom. Why don't you go get him for me. You can lay down there and take a nap if you wish. He won't mind, I'm sure."

"Huh? Oh!" Blue eyes widened, as the entirety of the situation sank in. Ranma glanced down at her chest, blushed deeply, then looked back up into Akane's eyes.

"Thank you, Akane. You're... you're a real friend. I... I think I'll go do that now."

Akane smiled as she stood up. She walked towards the stairs, then suddenly made a detour towards the kitchen. "I'm... uh... gonna get a glass of water."

"I understand. Don't be too long. I'm sure Ranma is anxious to meet his mother."

"Yeah," the soprano voice came back from the kitchen. It sounded a bit stunned. "I'm sure he is."

After a few moments, the red haired girl disappeared down the hall, towards the stairs. Nodoka seemed to hold her breath, and then a black haired boy came back down. Oddly, he was wearing exactly the same outfit as the girl. Nodoka chose not to mention that, though. The girl was very odd, and probably the Tendos didn't want her calling attention to it.

She was more interested in meeting her son, however. She rose to her feet as he entered the room, and he seemed kind of hesitant too, watching her carefully as he approached. Finally, he stopped in the entrance to the room, and bowed deeply.

"Greetings... Mother... I am... pleased to finally meet you."

His voice was strange, hoarse and very quiet. He had also paused, as if considering his words before speaking. Such a polite and thoughtful boy. And so manly, too. Nodoka was almost giddy with excitement.

"Now, now," Kasumi was saying. "There is no need to be so formal. Please, come and sit down, Ranma-kun."

Nodoka took him into her arms for a quick hug as he walked past, then helped him to a seat next to Akane. Akane quickly wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Ranma glanced at her, looking a little overwhelmed, but glad for the support.

"Akane?" She was crying. Ranma started to get worried, but she smiled brightly at him.

"Don't worry, Ranma. I'm fine." She wiped the tears away, and then leaned in again to hold him closely.

Nodoka smiled at the exchange. Her hands shaking a bit, she picked up her teacup. "So... my son. Your... Akane has been telling me about you. But please, I want to hear it from you."

Ranma glanced at Akane, and she nodded. "We've already told her about the arrangement with Father, and that it was broken. She's fine with that."

"Oh. Oh, good." Ranma breathed a sigh of relief, then leaned in to give Akane a squeeze. He paused for a count of two. "Not that it'll hold us back from going on our date on Friday."

Akane grinned widely, her heart fluttering in her chest. Ranma seemed to look down and consider things, and then he looked back at his mother. Again, there was that long pause before he spoke, and when he did, his words were still slow and measured.

"Pops has trained me to be a great martial artist, Mother. It wasn't always easy, but I'm strong, and able to protect the people I care about." He pulled Akane a bit closer. "I haven't always done the most honorable thing, but I've tried... to do the best I can."

"Akane tells me that you... you ran away from your father. Is that true?"

Ranma paused again. Nodoka got the definite impression that Ranma was thinking deeply before every word he spoke. Almost like it was hard for him to speak, and he had to force every word out. "I was very angry with him at the time. Very angry. I felt betrayed. Hurt. It got worse. Before it was over, I hated him more than anything. I didn't want to have anything to do with him ever again."

"Looking back... I think I was wrong. Running away wasn't the solution. And it did make things worse." Akane hugged him tightly, giving a little sniffle. "But I wasn't wrong about the reasons why I did it. My Pops is a dishonorable man, a liar and a cheat and a thief, and he did nothing for me that he didn't do to help himself. In the end... I am glad he is out of my life, and I cannot call him my father any more. He's just... Pops."

"I know my words are harsh, and I guess after ten years without him, you may still... love him. Maybe... maybe ten years ago he was a different person. Maybe being on the road with me changed him. I am... I am sorry if I hurt your feelings. I... I do not wish to cause you any dishonor."

Nodoka frowned. "No. Your father had always been like that. I thought that giving him a responsibility, making him care for and protect a child would make him change. It... it seems I was wrong."

Her face showed that anger again, and Akane breathed a sigh of relief. It was Genma she had been angry at, not herself.

But then her expression grew sad. "I... I am sorry, son. I thought your father could handle it, but clearly I misjudged him. I should have... protected... my little boy."

There was another moment of silence. "Don't feel bad. My... someone I talk to often says that you can't blame yourself for decisions made in the past. You can't know how things will turn out. You tried to do what you thought was best. It was Pops fault for what he put me through, and it all turned out all right anyway.

"I found Akane, and the Tendos, and I found a home here in Nerima where I can be happy. I've begun to understand myself, and realize what I need in order to be happy. I've been so lonely for so long... but I've found friends, and people to support me."

Ranma turned to gaze into Akane's eyes, and hugged her. Then he turned back to his mother. "I'd like you to be a part of my family, too. As long as you'll have me. Honestly, it's been ten years, and I don't even remember you. I thought... well, I always thought you were dead. But... I'd like to get to know you. If you'd like to get to know me."

Nodoka smiled at him, and there were tears in her eyes. "Of course I want to get to know you. You're my son..."

Ranma was quiet again, for a long time. Akane held him, and slid her hand around on his chest. "You need to tell her the truth, you know. The whole story."

He nodded. "I know, Akane."

He was silent again, there was yet another long pause, while he thought. Finally he looked up. "You want to know who I am, mother, you want to get to know me. Well, some of it is a little strange. Some of it is downright unbelievable. You'll think I'm crazy, when I tell you. And when I show you... well, you'll think *you're* crazy."

"And some of it... you may not want to hear some of it. Some of it may hurt too much to hear. You'll have to be ready for that."

"Your father?" Nodoka swallowed, but that anger was back in her eyes. For some reason, she fingered the bundle she had slung over her shoulder.

"Not all of it Pops. Some of it worse. Much worse. It doesn't get much worse."

Nodoka could not miss the change in Akane. Every time he hinted at this, she pressed herself closer and closer to him, holding him tighter, giving him more comfort and reassurance. There was something in it that suddenly reminded her of how she had been holding the girl, so protectively, as if she was guarding over her while she slept. Nodoka found herself studying the black haired girl, noting the muscle tone of her body, the kindness and compassion in her face, even the rebelliousness she had seen flashing in her eyes in their argument before. This was a strong willed girl, and it was obvious, no matter what the two of them said out loud, that she loved her son deeply, and he loved her.

Again, the image of Akane holding that little red haired girl flashed in her mind, and Nodoka could not for the life of her figure out why.

"I should start at the beginning." He sighed. "Tell you a little bit about Pops. He's actually pretty good as a martial artist. I'm glad I trained under him, although I'm sorry he was my Pops. When I was six years old, though, he trained me in this unstoppable technique called the Neko-ken. It was supposed to make me invincible. Instead, it turns out it was a forbidden technique that only an idiot would teach, which leaves the victim insane."

"Pops wasn't malicious, though. Just stupid. I'm sure he thought there was nothing wrong with it. But he wrapped me in fish sausage, and put me in a pit full of starving c-c-ccats. After they'd been clawing at me for about three days, I finally lost it. Went into the Neko-ken. I thought I was a c-cat, and had chi claws that were formed somehow to help me claw things up like a cat. But somehow, I managed to come out of it. So I didn't go really insane, I somehow managed to cope with it by creating a split personality, and putting the insane part off in that. I'll get back to that."

"The main thing is, when I see a c-cat now, I go insane. At first, I'm just really terrified, like I've got to get away from the cat. I'll run and run and run until I can't see it any more. If I can't escape, it gets worse. I go into the Neko-ken. I go insane, and I become a c-cat."

Nodoka was turning white, but Ranma continued. "When I was sixteen, Pops finally decided he was ready to take me on a trip to China. I suspect he had been planning it all along, but he needed to raise the money, and I guess he wanted to wait until I was old enough to make a trip like that. So anyway, I was already getting good, better than Pops, actually. I figured I might learn something, and it hadn't really been all that bad, lately, since I'd gotten old enough to fend for myself."

He glanced at Akane, and she gave him a sad smile. "In the Bayankala mountains, in the Qinghai province of China, there is a valley called Jusenkyo. The valley floor is covered in springs, and the springs are magical. Yep, real, actual magic, that changes things into other things, and does other things you'd think impossible. I used to not believe in magic, but I've seen it, I've felt it. I've been changed by it. And it's real."

Kasumi quietly got to her feet, and Ranma nodded at her. Nodoka watched as she left the room, and went into the kitchen. She returned with a glass of water and a kettle, while Ranma continued speaking. "Each of the springs has a curse on it, an animal drowned in it a thousand years or so ago, and each spring is named after the animal that died there. Anyone who falls in the pool is cursed to take on the body of what drowned there. There are poles scattered around, I suppose the idea is to balance on the poles while sparring and not fall into the springs. STUPID Pops never bothered to listen to the guide or figure out what the springs were about, so he just leaped onto one of the poles to start sparring. And I, being just as big a fool, I guess, followed."

Ranma fell silent again, this time not to think through his words, but just to take a moment to regain control of himself. Akane was still holding him tightly. As he began speaking again, though, she drew back, a bit, as if getting ready to let him go.

"Pops was the first to fall in. I nailed him a good one, and asked if he was okay, figuring I'd taught him a lesson. What I didn't know was that he had fallen in the Spring of Drowned Panda. The curse had caused him to take on the body of a panda. And when that panda came leaping out of the spring and landed on one of the poles, I didn't know what to think. I heard the guide yelling about it, and it started to sink in what was going on, but by then it was too late."

Nodoka had smiled, at first, figuring that Ranma was pulling her leg, but she could see the seriousness in his eyes. She also noticed Akane pull away from him, and lean back. Her eyes were locked on Nodoka's. Ranma reached out to pick up the glass of water. "Pop caught me off guard, since I was so stunned I wasn't watching my back. I saw myself flying towards the spring, and knew what it meant, but I couldn't stop it. I fell in, and, at first, I didn't feel any different. I thought it might not have effected me. But then I heard the guide talking, and finally made out what he was saying.

"... Spring of Drowned Girl."

"I'm sorry, Auntie, that I wasn't honest with you about this, either..." Akane commented.

Somehow, Nodoka saw it coming even before the water touched his head. But she still couldn't believe it. It couldn't be. There had to be a mistake. A trick. Something. But there she was. The red haired girl. She looked up at her, with those blue eyes, so full of pain and fear, of rejection. And she muttered. "Sorry about this..."

Akane leaned back in, and her arms went tightly around the girl, ignoring that she was somewhat damp. Now, it was obvious, she was holding the girl the same way she had been holding Ranma, the same way she had been holding her when Nodoka came in. Comforting her, cuddling her, coddling her. Protecting her. Like she would protect a child. Or... a wife. That had not been a man that Akane had been holding, when she came in. That had been a woman, curled up submissively in the safety and security of her lover's arms.

This is her manly son? Nodoka frowned.

Ranma had looked away, though, and so she missed the change in Nodoka's mood. Instead, she looked off into the distance, her expression haunted. Akane had noticed, though, and she frowned back. Suddenly, that fire was back in her eyes, that protective anger, that judgemental glare. Nodoka frowned even more.

"I was... so... angry... at Pop." Each word was like it's own tiny explosion of anger. Although Ranma's female voice was softer, breathier than her male voice, without the rough edge to it, it was no less measured. "I... I was ready to kill him. Even once I learned the curse could be reversed... hot water..." she gestured at the kettle, "I still was fed up. I wasn't ready to leave him yet, that came later, but I promised myself I wasn't going to listen to him any more. Whatever idea he had, it was bad for me. And I'd make him pay for what he'd done to me. Taking away my... manhood. Making me... a weak... useless... girl..."

"I should probably explain. You see, that was another thing about Pops. For as long as I can remember, Pops had been drumming it into my head that women were weak. He would say that girls could never be martial artists, that they could never love the Art. They were a distraction, only good for cooking and cleaning, and... well, he never went that far into the anything else." Ranma's lip curled into a sneer. "And the worst insult he ever gave me, the one he always used to try to hurt me the most, was that I was 'acting like a girl'."

The red headed girl's sneer had grown into a full blown grimace of fury. Nodoka, knowing more about his father's contract than Ranma, couldn't escape the logical conclusion that Genma had done this to ensure his son was "manly". And looking at the rage in the girl's eyes, she had to face that maybe the contract had gone further than she intended. Nodoka shuddered. Akane, watching the older woman, noticed.

"That damn panda made me HATE my girl side. And even worse, he almost cost me the one person who ever meant anything to me, who became my friend and stood up for me when I needed it. Who is the kindest, nicest person I've ever met, and the best martial artist I've ever known as well." She looked down at Akane, and the black haired girl put a hand up to touch her cheek, her eyes shining.

"Because of that stupid, woman-hating JACKASS, I said something awful to Akane about her being a martial artist. And even worse, deep down I MEANT it. And didn't even realize I meant it. I had to realize what my Pop had done to me, and the CRAP he had planted in my mind, before I could show Akane that I had respect for her."

"Thank you," Akane whispered. She leaned up to give Ranma a gentle kiss, then glanced at Nodoka to make sure she had gotten the message. Sure enough, she had. That look that said she was considering making Genma into a panda skin rug was back.

"Anyway, I was about ready to call it quits anyway. I figured whatever Pops had in mind, it meant another nightmare for me. He decided to drag me back home, though, and I figured, what the hell? I'd stick with it, for the moment. Then, as we were waiting in a train station in Fukuoka, I noticed him writing a postcard to someone. I asked about it, and he avoided the question, but I managed to get a look at it. It was to Soun Tendo, although he hadn't written the name in yet, and he was tellin' him about bringing me, to marry one of his daughters. I got suspicious, and browbeat the old man until he spilled the beans, and that's when I decided to leave."

Ranma fell quiet again, and Nodoka noticed that all of a sudden, he seemed reluctant to continue. Not hesitant, like before, he had always been that way, but now he seemed truly not willing to go on. He began to shudder, and tears came to his eyes. There was something wounded in him, something dark and terrifying, like nothing Nodoka had ever seen before. All of a sudden, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the rest of this story, either.

Akane was there, though. Nodoka could almost feel the strength coming off of her, going into her son. And there was something inside him, as well, something clawing to get out, an aura that seemed to erupt around him. Yet somehow, Akane and Ranma together managed to contain it. Nodoka swallowed. She wasn't really sensitive to chi, but she had been around Genma and Soun, and their old master, long enough to understand what it was she had just sensed. And if it had been powerful enough for her to sense it...

She also noticed, as her awareness shifted back to the visible spectrum, that she hadn't noticed Ranma's body was female, there, for a moment. She had clearly seen him as male, even though it had been the girl that Akane had held so tightly, and even kissed.

"You've probably noticed my voice," Ranma said, quietly. "You're probably wondering why it is so quiet, and why it seems to hard for me to talk. The truth is, I lost my voice. Because of what happened next. I couldn't speak for well over six months. It's kind of... fallen into disuse, and I've had to work on getting it back."

"I haven't told Pops about this, either. He knows I was pissed at him for trying to take me to the Tendos, and that I was hurt sometime after I left him, but I didn't tell him the details. And I won't, not for a long time. He's such a jerk he probably would say something stupid anyhow, and he wouldn't understand." The red head looked her mother in the eye. "No man could ever understand. Not really."

"I ran away to Nerima," Ranma said. "I thought it was pretty clever, you know, Pops would never expect me to run to the very place he was trying to take me to. I didn't get the name of his friend's family from the postcard, but I didn't figure I'd run into them. I just figured I'd find a place to live there, get a job, and save up to go back to China. Hopefully Pops would figure I turned around straight away and went back to China, and he did, too."

"I got off the train and started trying to find a place to stay. I ended up in this bad part of town, and it was raining. Raining, you know, cold water, I was in my girl form. Soaked to the skin. I didn't care, and I didn't think I was in any danger. I'm a martial artist, you know. Only I happened to run into a cat. The Neko-ken, you know. I ran away, and it followed me. I don't remember much after that, but I think I must have just run blindly along and hit my head on something."

Nodoka found herself shivering. Ranma's voice was flat, so nonchalant and devoid of emotion it was terrifying. Akane was crying, and whispering soft words to her. Some part of her mind wanted to deny any possibility of it, but another part was already seeing it coming. She couldn't help the wave of concern that swept over her, and found herself reaching out to her... son?... daughter?... and tentatively touching her back.

Ranma flinched, but then relaxed into the caress.

"When I woke up, I was naked. Tied up. Three men were around me, and... well, I knew what they were about to do. One already had his pants off. I tried to fight, to break free, but I had a concussion, and every little movement I made made me sick with dizziness. I still struggled. But there was nothing I could do, and I knew it. I was helpless. Helpless..."

"And... that's when she showed up. Akane. She... screamed and jumped at them. I'd never heard such rage. She tore into them, and then when she was done... she knelt down next to me. She helped me up, and put my clothes on me, and even was gentle, because of my concussion. I tried to talk to her, but that's when I realized I couldn't talk. She... she comforted me, though, and she took me home."

"At first, I didn't want to tell them anything about myself. I mean... who would care about a sex changing freak? But I had to tell them eventually. Akane was upset, because... well, the first night she offered to sleep... um... next to me, to comfort me. Then when she found out I was a boy, and that I'd known about the engagement too, she felt really betrayed." Although she didn't look at Akane, Ranma put a hand on hers. "I know how she must have felt. Frightened. Violated. But she... she just kept coming back. No matter what, she was there for me, and... and she was just so brave. Braver than me."

"Stop that," Akane whispered, her voice almost inaudible. "You're the bravest man I know."

"I've been seeing a therapist, too, and the whole Tendo family, they've just been the greatest." She looked up at Kasumi, and the eldest sister's eyes were filled with tears. "Pops finally made it back from China, and it turns out he found the Spring of Drowned Man and jumped in it. Turns out instead of curing his curse, though, it mixed with it. Now he's a half-man, half-panda in both of his forms. And he looks really goofy."

"Fitting punishment," she said, although her tone wasn't really bitter. But Ranma then looked at his mother. "But that tells me I can't be cured. Like it or not... I'm stuck like this."

The red headed girl reached out and picked up the kettle of hot water. After giving Akane a second to lean away, she poured it over her head, and once again she was the black haired boy. "This is who I am, mom. I guess this isn't exactly what you expected, but... I hope you can accept me like this."

Akane turned to look at her, and Nodoka bit her lip. All she wanted was to draw her little boy into a hug and comfort him, but how could she, when so much of it was her own fault? And then there was the contract. She couldn't just ignore it. But how to break it to him? Could she even force him to do what the contract required?

There was of course the dishonor to the family that this... disaster represented. But from what Ranma had said he had struggled to preserve his... her honor, despite life-threatening injuries. And Akane had in the end prevailed. But at what cost? Was it even possible to be "manly" after what had happened, and how could she compound the violation that had been forced on him by forcing him to kill himself?

No. There was no way she could do that, she decided.

"I... I am sorry, son. I... I am very confused. This is all a little... much for me. I hope you understand."

Ranma's eyes darkened, like she had stabbed him in the heart, but he nodded. "I understand, Mom. It... it took Akane a while to get used to it, too. It takes everyone a while, really." He glanced down at Akane, and the first flickers of anger she was starting to feel towards Nodoka faded. She nodded, and looked up at the woman apologetically.

"It is not that." Nodoka took his hand. "I do not mind the curse itself. But... your father promised me that he would make you into a man. A... well, a 'man amongst men'. That's the son that I expected to come home to me. It's what I prepared my heart for. I..."

She paused a moment. Nodoka suddenly realized the advantage of Ranma's loss and recovery of his voice, as it forced him to think over his words before speaking. She resolved to try the same thing; although she was always mindful of being polite, it would not hurt to pause an extra second. "It is your father's failure that bothers me, not yours. I want you to be who you are. But..." She smiled. "I want you to be my manly son as well. I want you to be a son every mother can be proud of. The very best martial artist, and the most manly of men."

Akane cleared her throat. "Auntie... to me, Ranma is the most manly man I have ever met. Compared to him, all those perverts and idiot boys at the school are like a bunch of... well, babies. They're wimps and weaklings. And Ranma makes me feel protected, and safe, and like no one could ever hurt me or take advantage of me again.

"I used to dread going to school. Now... every day I'm with him I'm happier than I ever thought possible."

Nodoka smiled. "Thank you, Akane dear, that was very kind. And I suppose no one would know better." Still, she didn't say, it is you who protects Ranma and comforts him, as well. I suppose it's okay that you protect each other, but...

In the silence, Ranma finally spoke. "I won't lie to you, Mom. Mitaka-sensei says that it's perfectly normal for me to feel a little loss of... gender identity, given what's happened to me. I can't really help it, between that, and my female body, I could, well, at worst I could become a rapist myself, or just come to hate my feminine side and anything having to with femininity. Or, I could embrace it, and make it a part of me. I can't... I can't ever go back to what I was before."

"And I know what I was before." He sighed. "I was strong, confident, brash, reckless, but also a little insensitive and thoughtless, too. Losing my voice has helped me with that, but more than that... being able to accept that I feel... and being able to express those feelings to Akane... it's really meant a lot."

"I... I am certainly not as confident, not any more. But I wouldn't want to go back to the way I was. Not to get back that confidence."

Ranma turned on the pad, and slid slightly away from Akane. He gestured to her, holding out his arms, and Akane's eyes lit up. Smiling widely, she climbed into his lap, leaned against his chest, and molded her body against his, as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I see..." said Nodoka quietly. She looked at the two teenagers, as they smiled at her.

"I will say this, Mom. First of all, if there's any arrangement you made with Pops, forget about it. I'm not honoring any arrangement Pops made. As I said, Pops is a dishonorable man, and I'm not honoring any agreement made by a dishonorable man. I will uphold my honor, or the honor of my family, but Pops... forget it. I hope you can understand that."

Nodoka nodded. She fingered her katana. Perhaps it was time she tracked down her errant husband.

"Second, I'll tell you the same thing I told Pops. I make my own decisions, and I've got claws now. I'm not afraid to back them up. While I may look like a girl sometimes, and sometimes I think about what that means, and how it feels, to both me and Akane... inside, I'm a guy. I know that, and I'm sure of it. If Akane feels I'm a 'manly man'..." He glanced down at her, and she snuggled closer to his chest, with a sigh of deep satisfaction. "Well, I'm not gonna argue with her."

He snickered. "The last thing I wanna do is make her mad."

Akane giggled too, and pressed herself even closer.

Nodoka smiled at the picture they presented. Well, that certainly looked manly enough. "I... have a lot to think about, son. I hope you don't mind if I come by tomorrow. I... think I'll be able to decide what I want to say by then. Okay?"

"Okay, Mom. Thanks. And... it was nice seeing you. I hope we get to see a lot of each other."

"I hope so too." Still unsure of herself, and confused as to where her loyalties lay, Nodoka followed Kasumi as she showed her to the door.


	3. Chapter 3

"Silent Steel"

Chapter 3

When Nodoka arrived the next day, Nabiki and Soun were home, as well. Ranma had told them what to expect, so they waited patiently while Kasumi greeted their guest at the door. As she led Nodoka into the living room, they all noticed the air of sadness and depression around her. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she had obviously been crying. Akane and Ranma stole a glance at each other.

She still had the same bundle wrapped against her back, and held a sheet of paper in her hand. She walked slowly to the table, with a nod for everyone present. "Tendo-san," she said, to Soun, "It is good to see you again. Thank you for welcoming me into your home."

Soun, as usual, burst into a display of wailing and tears. "Oh, the beloved wife of my friend, you are still so serene and beautiful. It is so nice to see our families coming together again after all these years. WAAAAAA!"

"I am sorry my husband cannot be here as well, but I presume none of you have told him of our meeting. I think under the circumstances, that would be best." She studied the faces in the room, and they all seemed to be in agreement. Akane and Ranma, at least, scowled darkly at the idea.

"Of course, of course, I understand. Please, sit, sit down." Soun beat Kasumi, for once, to guiding their guest to a seat.

Nodoka settled into a place on the opposite side of the table, placing the paper face down in front of her. She took a moment to steel her resolve, and to again study the anxious faces of the Tendo family and her son. She noted Nabiki, sitting placidly in a corner, apparently engrossed in a magazine, but recognized the signs that this was an affectation. Kasumi, as usual, smiled at her sweetly, taking a seat next to her. Akane and Ranma, sitting close together in their usual spot with their backs to the koi pond, watched her with more concern and worry.

Slowly and deliberately, Nodoka removed her katana from the bundle, and placed it on the table. "This is the Saotome family honor blade," Nodoka said solemnly. "For the moment, I am going to place it in your keeping, Ranma. What transpires here will be up to you. I will abide by whatever actions you decide. Although I hope deeply that you will accept me as your mother, I have in many ways hurt you as much as your father. So I am willing to accept the consequences of my decision."

She did manage a smile for a moment. "I would hope, in time, that I might pass this blade on to you, Akane. I'm sure you would guard it with the determination I often saw in your mother's eyes. But that is not a discussion for this time."

Akane blushed deeply, but nodded, glancing at Ranma for his reaction. He smiled at her, and gave her a sheepish nod as well.

Taking a deep breath, she turned the paper over, and slid it across the table towards Ranma and the girl who so obviously loved and cared for him. "First of all, I want you both to know that, just like Tendo-san before me, I have resolved not to honor this agreement. You will not be held to its terms. I promise you that, on my word as a Saotome, and your mother."

Ranma glanced over the writing, and his face went pale as he reached the pertinent bit. "S-Seppuku?" he gasped. Nabiki jerked, and dropped her magazine. Soun and Kasumi leaned over for a closer look, just as shocked, but Akane had already been reading along with Ranma, over his shoulder. Nodoka was not surprised to see a look of towering fury come over Akane's eyes, and a red battle aura blazed around her. She flinched away from the look of pain and betrayal in both Akane's eyes and those of her son.

In the space of a heartbeat, though, Akane's rage had cooled, and her expression turned worried and scared. She regarded the Saotome matriarch carefully, but found only regret and torment in her face, and seemed satisfied with that. She settled down onto the floor, her eyes losing focus, and stared off into space. Some internal conflict seemed to have taken her over.

Ranma, meanwhile, had finished reading the contract, and met her eyes with undisguised challenge. He, too, studied his mother's face, taking in her sad and apologetic expression. After a moment, he set his jaw, and spoke, as softly and hoarsely as before.

"When did this happen? I don't remember this. Are these my hand-prints?" He pointed to the colored prints on the page, the size of a child's hand.

Nodoka nodded. "Your father did not tell me how he got you to put your hand-prints on that contract, but I feel certain that he tricked you. I'm sure he did not tell you what it was for."

Ranma regarded the paper again, as if was printed on his father's hide or something. His disgust was obvious. "I never meant to carry out that contract, Ranma," his mother continued. "Your father insisted that he take you away from me, on this training trip, and I did not want you to go. He kept saying that I was making you weak, by coddling you, and protecting you, and that he needed to take you away, and out into the wilderness, so he could make you grow strong."

"I... I did not want you to go, so I... I made him make this promise." She hung her head as she made this confession.

"I thought that if I showed him how difficult it was to care for our son, that he would come to appreciate you more. That he would see protecting you as... the duty of a parent, and not... 'coddling' you. I was hoping that after a few years, he would come home, and beg me to reconsider. Or at the very least, he would be forced to grow up, and finally be a father to his son. The worst part is..." she hung her head again. "There was a part of me that feared he was right. That I was... holding you back..."

Ranma was beginning to grow angry now, but it was a very different look she was getting from Akane. The young girl's eyes bored into Nodoka's, filled with compassion and sadness. She understood, she somehow sensed the pain and loneliness that Nodoka had felt, being forced to give up her young son, and to lose him for ten years, never knowing how he was, or even if he was alive or dead. That pain was growing darker, and darker in Akane's eyes, and her face was starting to twist in anguish from it.

"But... seppuku?" Ranma breathed the word, almost as if he couldn't believe it. "You would force Pops and me to commit seppuku, if he did not make me into the man he promised I would be?"

Akane suddenly began to shake violently. With a wordless cry, she grabbed Ranma, and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Tangling her hands in his hair, she pressed her lips against his. With tears streaming down her face, Akane kissed him firmly, passionately, without releasing him for several long minutes. Nabiki gasped, as she hadn't been fully aware that their relationship had progressed to this point. Soun looked startled as well, but cut off any comment as he found Kasumi looking at him sternly.

"Akane..." Ranma breathed, as she broke off the kiss, and pressed her head to his chest. She was weeping, and he could feel her trembling in his arms. He held her to him, trying to comfort her.

"Ranma..." She answered him. "I... I don't want you to die. I don't want you to ever die. Don't ever leave me, Ranma. Don't... don't ever..." She shuddered, and let out a choked sob. "I couldn't... I couldn't."

Ranma stroked her hair. "It's okay. It's okay, come on. She said she's not going to make me do it. Come on."

"I... I don't want to lose you. I... don't want to be alone again..."

"It's okay..."

Nodoka found that she couldn't look at the young couple. "I regret now that I ever made your father make that promise. What I have done to you, my son... and you, Akane... is unforgivable. I have always tried to base my life around honor, but I am afraid my honor cannot stand up to this dishonorable choice. I... I do not know what to tell you, my son. I will... leave my fate to you."

Ranma swallowed as he looked at her. "What... what do you mean, mother?"

Nodoka looked down. "I will not hold you to this contract, son. But I have dishonored myself by refusing to honor it. If you wish to send me away... as you did your father... you are in your rights to do that. Even if you do not..." There was a long pause. "I am not worthy to be your mother..."

His shoulders slumped as he studied the paper. Ranma read over the words, again and again, as if looking for a loophole or a clue as to why every event just seemed to bring more craziness into his life. Akane looked up at him, and her eyes began to grow wide with fear and terror. She clutched at him tightly.

"Ranma... you aren't... thinking of..." Her voice was hushed.

"No, no. Don't worry about it, Akane." He gave her a squeeze, but kept studying the paper.

Nabiki wandered over, as if nonchalant. "Mind if I take a look?" Ranma handed her the paper, and she studied it.

Ranma held Akane to his chest, while she sobbed quietly. "The part about me being the best martial artist in Japan, that's satisfied. No question about that. So no problem there. It's the 'man amongst men' that is the problem. How can I be a man amongst men, when I'm a girl half the time?"

He glanced over at his mother. "What does that even mean, anyway? What is a 'man amongst men'? What does it mean to be 'manly'? Do I go by your definition? Pops'? Mine? Akane's? Mitaka-sensei's?"

He paused a moment. "Actually, Mitaka-sensei would probably say that I would have to be the one to figure it out."

Nodoka nodded. "I had intended for it to be vague. Your father was supposed to figure out that there WAS no way to define it..."

"But he never did... Stupid panda."

Ranma was silent for a moment more. Akane's shivering was beginning to slow, but she leaned up for another kiss, which Ranma gave her. He stroked her back reassuringly.

"Maybe the answer is that it is possible to be all man, AND all woman. Knowing what it's like to be a girl... doesn't have to make me less of a man. If anything..." He looked down at the slender girl wrapped in his arms, reaching out to him for comfort, for his strength to drive away her fears. "If anything, being a girl helps me understand what a woman wants a man to do for her. What frightens her and makes her uncomfortable. How to be a... BETTER man for her."

Nodoka smiled and nodded at the thought.

"And if that's not good enough, Auntie, I think I have a suggestion." Everyone turned to look at Nabiki, who held up the contract, grinning widely.

"The contract was, that at the end of the training trip, Genma Saotome would return your son to you, as a man amongst men, and the best martial artist in Japan. Am I right?"

"Yes, Nabiki."

"Then this contract has not been satisfied, and it CANNOT be satisfied."

Nabiki paused a moment, to savor the looks of confusion on the faces around her. "Genma Saotome has not returned your son to you. You found him of your own volition. And in fact, Genma cannot return your son to you, because he no longer has any say in your son's life or decisions. Ranma Saotome has stated, before these witnesses, that he and he alone is responsible for his actions, and he is no longer under the guidance of Genma Saotome."

"If necessary, I'm sure we could show that Genma is no longer Ranma's legal guardian. I'm quite sure if we took it to court, we could present enough evidence to have him declared an unfit parent. Either way, Genma cannot fulfill his end of the contract, because it his not his place to deliver Ranma to you."

Nabiki threw the contract onto the table, as if dismissing something unimportant. "This contract cannot be fulfilled. I consider it null and void."

"There is no dishonor to you Auntie, because there is no dishonor in breaking a contract that cannot be honored. The dishonor is on your husband, for being so foolish as to endanger his son's life, and losing his status as Ranma's father."

Nodoka had no idea it was possible to feel so relieved. Even Akane was crying with happiness, almost bouncing up and down as she hugged Ranma. "I can't believe you, Oneechan," she said, wiping away a tear. "You've done it again."

"Thank you, Nabiki," Nodoka added. Without further ceremony, she picked up the paper, and tore it in half. "Now... my son..." She met his eyes hesitantly. "Can you see it in your heart to forgive me?"

"Of course... Mom." He walked over to her, letting go of Akane as Nodoka stood up. As Ranma hugged his mother, however, Akane joined in as well.

"Oh happy day!" Soun exclaimed, his eyes overflowing with tears again. "To see a mother and son reunited..."

Nodoka accepted the hug gratefully, but hesitantly. As Ranma released her, she looked down at him, still concerned. She put a hand on his shoulder, the steel returning to her eyes.

"I... I am glad you have returned to me... son... but I am afraid that I still don't quite know what to think about your curse. If I am to be your mother... I need some time... to get used to it."

Nodoka thought for a moment, and then took a seat, on the far side of the table. Ranma and Akane sat next to her, a little worried, themselves.

"I... I am afraid I am a little more old and set in my ways than I thought." She smiled at Akane, who gave her a curious smile back. "I had to think about this last night, and some of the things Akane and I discussed, as well." Akane blushed a little, at the reminder.

She stared into Ranma's eyes for a moment. "Like Akane said, I can't help who I am. So I hope you can forgive me if I ask you for a favor. I won't hold you to it, like the contract, or anything, but I hope that, as my son, you can do this for me."

Ranma put a hand on her shoulder. "Sure, Mom, what?"

"When you are in your male form, can you be my... my manly son for me? Be the man amongst men that I wanted you to be. I know I'm asking you a lot, but... at least in my presence..."

She looked down. "When I first saw you.. with Akane... when I didn't know who you were... I don't want to see you behave like that... when you're my son. No matter how you and Akane... feel about each other..." she swallowed. "It is not proper. Not for my son."

Nabiki glanced at Kasumi, wondering what she had missed. Kasumi's expression was blank, however. Oh, well, I'll find out, Nabiki told herself.

Ranma's face was red, but he nodded. "I think I can do that, Mom." Akane looked hurt, and just a little angry, but mostly sad. She moved away from Ranma a little, while making it clear she didn't want to.

Nodoka looked back at Akane, catching her eye. Then she turned back to Ranma. "In return for that, I'll make you a concession. In... In your female form, you can act as masculine or as feminine as you see fit. And if you want Akane to... comfort you... as long as you are a girl yourself, that is all right. I... I think I can handle that."

Ranma grinned widely, and Akane seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as well. "That's all right, Mom. Actually, Mitaka-sensei said the same thing. Not exactly the same..." Ranma glanced at Akane, and she blushed deeply, remembering their secret sharing of a bed, every Sunday. "But yeah, I think it's better for us both that I'm not a man when we do that."

Nodoka nodded, obviously very relieved. "Thank you, Ranma. I am glad you agree."

"There is one other thing I would like to ask of you as well." She paused a moment. "Would... would you... in your female form... would you mind if I thought of you as... my daughter?"

Ranma's eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

"I do not expect you to act like a proper lady, of course. I am sure you can't do that. You are..." she glanced at Akane, and smiled warmly. "Well, I guess I could say you are a bit of a tomboy. But..."

Her voice fell quiet, and she only barely spoke the next words. "I have always... I have always wanted a... a daughter. It has... It has bothered me that I could never have more children. I always promised you... Ranma... that I would love you, and protect you, and make you into a... a real man. But... I..."

Ranma stared at her for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, he stood up. He ran out of the room, leaving his mother and Akane staring at each other in surprise, and a little fear.

Then, from the kitchen, came the sound of running water, and then a splash as it hit the floor. The red haired girl ran back into the room, her hair wet, breathless, and her cheeks tinged with pink. Then she stopped, paused a moment, and bowed deeply.

She spoke, in a voice as close to Kasumi's as she could muster. "Honored mother, I would very much like it if you could consider me as your daughter."

Nodoka's eyes lit up, even as they became filled with tears. Rising from the table, she wrapped her arms around her tiny daughter, for the first time becoming physically aware of Ranma's reduced height in this form. She also noted her softness, and the way she seemed to begin to sob, although she was clearly trying to hold the tears back.

She then felt a tentative touch on her arm, and heard Akane's quiet voice. "Auntie... if you do not think it too much of me... I... I... I would very much like for you to think of me as your daughter as well..."

Akane was blushing deeply, as she clearly understood the implications of her words. "Are you saying, Akane, that I have not lost a son, but gained two daughters?" Nodoka's voice held more than a trace of humor, but it was still choked with emotion. The two teenagers looked incredibly embarrassed, but neither denied it.

Nodoka drew them into her embrace, and Ranma lost the last of her control. Soon, she was weeping loudly, unable to stop. Akane stroked her hair, like before, whispering to her soothingly. Nodoka smiled at her.

"Of course I do not mind, Akane. You've done so much for Ranma. I... I dread to think how I would found my... my child had you not come along."

"Yeah..." Ranma agreed, between sobs. "You saved me."

"You would have been just fine, Ranma." Akane said softly. "I know it."

"Still... Ranma... you are not my... little boy... any more. But... I hope you will let me... comfort you... too. I can at least... comfort... my daughter."

Ranma glanced around, her face red, obviously ashamed to be seen in such a state. Nabiki was smirking like she wished she had a camera, and Soun had dissolved into tears of his own. But Kasumi regarded her with her quiet smile. Ranma got control of herself, at least enough to be able to speak.

"Thanks... Mom. I'd like that."

Nodoka hugged her tighter. "Speak properly, dear. Please call me mother."

"Sorry... Mother."

Akane stepped back and walked over to the table. As Ranma and her mother followed, Akane smiled and put out her hand. Ranma took it, and Akane pulled her down into her lap. Taking a deep, satisfied breath, Ranma settled into her arms. Akane considered kissing her for a moment, but with everyone around watching, decided just to press her lips against the top of her head.

Nodoka's eyes shone as she sat down next to them, though. She took Ranma's hand, and the red headed girl looked up, smiling as she squeezed back.

"Ah..." Nabiki commented. "Now I get it."

They turned to look at her, but she grinned at Ranma, her eyes teasing. "So... decided to see how the other half lives, eh, Ranma-chan?"

Ranma blushed, but then she raised her head again. She sat calmly for a moment, and Akane counted three before she spoke. "I guess so, Nabiki. Maybe... I've just decided not to fight it any more."

Nodoka smoothed her hair back, and Ranma turned to look at her. "I am glad... daughter. Although I am not sure what that... panda of a husband will think of this. I think it best, in fact, that we not tell him of our breaking of the contract. If you act... as a manly son in your male form around me, he will probably think that is my condition to keep from enacting the terms of the contract. And I can continue to hold it over his head..."

Ranma smiled, her feminine face making the grin look impish. "That sounds cool, Mom."

"Mother, Ranma dear."

"Sorry, Mother."

"If you do not mind... how about I take you shopping later today? You dress most inappropriately for a young lady. I can understand your preference for male clothing, but perhaps I could buy you a few outfits for special occasions?"

"Uh..." Ranma turned green, but didn't speak right away. Akane managed a count of five before she continued. "I am uncomfortable with the idea... Mother. But if it is what you wish..."

Giggling, Akane hugged the reluctant girl even more tightly. "How about I come with you. I would enjoy the shopping a lot more than Ranma, and I can keep her out of trouble. Plus, I might have some suggestions of my own as to... clothing she might be needing. Right, Ranma?"

Ranma blushed deeply, unable to meet her eyes.

Nabiki turned back to her magazine. "I would love to come too... in many ways I wouldn't want to miss this... but I have plans for later tonight. Tell me all about it when you get back, though, Akane, won't you?"

Akane giggled again. "Sure, sis."

Nodoka put a hand under Ranma's chin, tilting her head up to look into her blue eyes. "I suppose I won't be able to convince you to wear makeup." As Ranma blushed deeply at the idea, she added, "Fortunately, your complexion is so clear that you don't really need it. You are a real natural beauty, daughter."

Nabiki chuckled wickedly, while Ranma pulled away. She stared at the ground, her eyes wide, her arms wrapped around her body as if to hide it. Akane wondered for a moment if Nodoka was teasing, but then saw the possibilities herself. "Perhaps a bit of mascara or just some eyeliner, Ranma. It wouldn't be much, but honestly..."

She studied Ranma's face for a moment. "I've always wondered about this, but your eyes are so blue it almost looks like you're wearing blue eye shadow, too. I bet if we just put a little bit on, no one would notice in your guy form, but it would really pop when you're a girl."

"Uh... Okay, Akane. If you think it's... best."

Akane smiled widely at her, and took the little red haired girl in her arms. "It's okay, Ranma. We won't do anything you're not comfortable with. But it might make you feel more... feminine. And it's always fun to share makeup tips and tell stories... y'know, as a couple of girls."

Ranma smiled uncertainly at the thought. Meanwhile, Nodoka pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Ranma is such a manly name, it's just not appropriate for a pretty girl like you, either. Perhaps we should give you... like a nickname. One more fitting than 'Wild Horse'."

"Another name?" Ranma started to look uncomfortable, and Akane hugged her. "I guess that's okay, as long as it's not too girly."

"Too bad Akane is already taken," Nabiki commented drily. "With your hair it would be perfect. Maybe... Red? Scarlet?"

Ranma frowned. Her scowl deepened at Akane's joking suggestion of "Pig-tailed Goddess."

"How about Ranko?" Nodoka suggested. "Wild Child. I think that fits a tough and rebellious young girl like yourself, without being 'girly', but I think it sounds beautiful."

"That's true... what do you think, Ran... ko?"

"Ranko. Ranko." Ranma tested it out on her tongue a few times. "I guess it's okay."

"Ranko it is, then." Nodoka smiled, her eyes a little misty, then gave her renamed daughter a hug.

Ranma bit her lip as she returned the hug, hesitantly, but with increasing confidence. "Hey, uh... can we get ice cream?"

Nodoka looked a bit startled by the question. "Of course, dear, we can get ice cream if you like. Whatever you want to do."

Akane looked a bit confused as well. Ranma smiled, and Akane counted two as her... girlfriend thought over her explanation. "Well, you see it's that shopping is not really something I find interesting, but I do really like ice cream. Akane and I went out for it a lot when were we at the beach. But I found... it is something that I find better as a girl, somehow."

"I'm sure you two will enjoy the shopping. And I'll enjoy the ice cream, and I know Akane will, and I guess you too, mother. All I really want is to just spend some time together. It doesn't matter what... I just want to have fun. Just... just talk."

Nodoka smiled. "That sounds wonderful, Ranko. We'll make an afternoon of it." She stood up. "Do you want to go now?"

"Yeah, sure." Ranma stood up as well, and Akane joined them. Ranma put her arms around the other two women, and they laughed pleasantly as she led them to the door. "I've got a lot of catching up to do. And I've been silent long enough."

THE END


	4. Epilogue

Author's Notes:

This was originally written as part of this story, but I never posted it because I didn't think it was necessary. The basic plotline of my "sequel" to Silent Horse was wrapped up, with Nodoka accepting the curse, and this was sort of an analysis after the fact. Literally, since it's Mitaka-sensei's analysis of what happened in the encounter between Ranma and his mother, and her reassurance to Akane that she was doing the right thing.

Plus, I'm a firm believer that if a writer has to explain a plot point, it wasn't written clearly enough in the first place. And I don't WANT my readers to necessarily reach the same conclusions I do, part of the artistic process is that each reader or viewer puts his own interpretation and meaning on a work. So I felt if I went too far in explaining my thoughts in writing this story, it would take something away from it.

Still, I've toyed with the idea of posting this anyway, just because there are some readers who might find it interesting. Given the latest series of reviews, in particular the last anonymous one, I guess I decided that maybe I should address some of these questions, especially when they keep coming up. I think this clarifies that it was not my intention to continue with Ranma "going girl", but rather to wrap it up, with Ranma striking a balance between being male and being female. And Akane, as well, has embraced both her own masculine and feminine sides, to be a better match for him.

* * *

"Silent Steel"

Epilogue

"So," Mitaka-sensei said, "I understand a lot happened to Ranma this week. I've heard it from his point of view, of course, but I'd like to hear your version."

"Well... he met his mother. And found out... well, that she and his father signed a contract that would have made him commit seppuku..."

"I figured that would be the part that stood out to you the most. How did that make you feel?"

"Well, it made me furious, of course!" Akane felt herself becoming angry at the very question, although she knew why Mitaka-sensei was asking it. "How could any mother do that to her son! How could she... sit there and watch him... kill himself? What kind of monster puts her little boy in danger like that?!"

Akane took a deep breath to regain control of herself. It felt good to let her rage out like that, not hold it in, but she was working on trying not to jump to conclusions, to see things from others' point of view. She noticed that Mitaka-sensei was just watching her, not worrying, but just letting her get it out of her system.

"I guess... once I thought about it, though, I realized Auntie Sautome never meant for it to go that far. It was a pretty stupid thing to do, I guess, but Ranma's family aren't known for being the smartest of people. And I've made some pretty big mistakes, too. Some of the biggest, when it comes to Ranma, and he's hurt me, too, and I've forgiven him. So I can forgive his mother."

"Well, there's something else I wanted to talk about first, but while we're on the subject, this might be a good time. Ranma tells me that you had a very... intense reaction. You broke down in his arms. Would you like to tell me what you were feeling?"

Akane's eyes became pained, as she relived the memory. "Well... at first I was thinking... well, I was looking at his mother, and I was looking into her eyes. I was thinking, you know, how can a mother do that to her son? I could see that she regretted it, though, and that she was sorry. She had realized, you know, that this decision had cost her her son, that he had been taken away from her for ten years. And she might never have gotten to see him again."

"I could see it... in her eyes. The loneliness. And I thought... what if I had to lose Ranma for ten years? And then... and then I... I was thinking... if he'd have to commit seppuku... how his mother must have felt. To lose him... then lose him again. And I was seeing... somehow I saw... his body. Gone. At first, it was just her seeing him... you know. D... dead."

Akane was not surprised to see tears falling onto her lap. "Then... it was like... I was seeing him. Like he had to go through with it. And I had... I had..." she sobbed. "Lost him. He was gone... forever."

"And I felt so empty! So alone!" Akane buried her face in her hands, shaking as the tears came back. "I couldn't stand it! I had to hold him, kiss him... prove to myself he was still there..."

"I... I don't ever want to go through that." She wiped her tears, trying to make them stop. "I realized, we've been through so much together, he's been in so many fights, I never thought about it. I mean, I know he's strong, there's nothing to worry about. But this wasn't an enemy he could fight, this was his MOTHER and... and..."

Akane broke down again, unable to continue as the grief overcame her. Mitaka had gotten up and sat down next to her, hugging her reassuringly. Akane cried until she could get her tears under control.

Finally, she wiped her eyes. "It's just... It's just because I love him. I realize that, now. He's so much a part of my life... I don't want to imagine a life without him. It just suddenly hit me... something could happen and I'd never see him again. I had to make him promise... to never leave me."

"Well, at least you can say it now. He was very upset, by the way. He wasn't sure he could tell you that he wouldn't die, after all, he puts himself in danger all the time. But I was able to tell him that what you really wanted was for him to spend as much time with you as he can. To reassure you that he wants to be there and stay with you."

Mitaka-sensei stroked her hair, then sat up. "Would it surprise you to know that he worries about you, too?"

Akane looked at her. "He does? I... I guess he does. I guess I kind of knew it."

"Mostly he worries about you being attacked, as he was. But he does worry about you getting hurt. A lot of the reason he trains you is because he doesn't want you getting caught in one of his fights and getting killed."

"Yeah." Akane looked down. "He told me."

The elder woman stood up, and returned to her chair. "Okay, enough about that. For the moment, I would like to talk about something else. Do you know what that is?"

Akane blushed deeply. "Um... how I helped him... uh... get in touch with his... feminine side?"

"Yes. Did you know that was the first thing he mentioned? Even before his mother. It was very important to him. More important than anything else that happened."

"It was?"

"Yes. Perhaps you should tell me your version of the events."

"Um..." Akane couldn't stop blushing, although she wasn't sure why. She hadn't felt this embarassed since she first told the sensei about them sleeping together. "Well, Ranma had come home, and was wet and in his girl form. He was... mad, because the boys had teased him, but kind of sad, too. I was worried, so I asked her about it."

"He said that he was feeling... strange, because he was angry that the boys were... well, looking at her body, and it made her uncomfortable, but at the same time, she couldn't really get angry. He was thinking that... well, in his girl form, she was cute, and he shouldn't be surprised that they thought she was cute. She was... pretty."

Akane blushed, thinking of when Ranma called her breasts "pretty". "I can kind of understand that. I mean... I feel the same way he does, sometimes, when the boys are leering at me, but..."

"But you like to feel pretty?"

Akane blushed even deeper. "Yeah. When it's... when it's someone who's nice to me." Her voice dropped to almost a whisper. "When it's... Ranma..."

Mitaka-sensei smiled. "Do you think Ranma wants to feel... pretty?"

Akane paused a moment, to think about it. "I... uh... I dunno. I guess he wants to feel handsome... and he is handsome... but..." she paused again. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess he... she... does. I mean... why wouldn't he? He's obviously proud of the way he looks, in both forms. Maybe too proud."

"Would you say that Ranma is vain?"

"Nah. Well, maybe a little. He's... lost a lot of confidence. I can still see some arrogance in him, but I get the feeling it used to be worse."

"I... guess he can't be totally comfortable with his looks. Not with..." Akane looked up. "Do you think that's it, sensei? Ranma needs to become comfortable with his female form being... pretty?"

"I think that is a major part of it, yes. And that his male half is handsome. Have you told him you think he's handsome?"

"Huh? I didn't say..." Akane got halfway through the sentence before she remembered she had called him handsome. Her voice cut off, and she stared at the floor, blushing deeply.

"Well, you don't have to tell him right out. You can make him feel handsome, treat him as handsome. You enjoy when he takes you out, treats you like a lady. Even if he doesn't call you pretty, he makes you feel pretty, right?"

Has he been doing that on purpose? Akane thought for a moment. It was certainly sweet of him if he did, and she was going to have to return the favor. "Um... actually, he did call me pretty..." She blushed deeper, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Well, part of me, anyway..."

"That's nice of him." Mitaka said. "But there is another part of your story that you have forgotten. Do you remember what else he said when he came in?"

"Huh?" Akane couldn't remember anything, and thought about it for a long time. Then, it suddenly came back to her. "Oh, yeah! He said he was stuck with the curse. I forgot all about that."

"It doesn't bother you?"

"Not at all. I mean, it gets embarassing sometimes, but, I've gotten used to it. I don't even notice sometimes."

"I've noticed you've been mixing pronouns with him, calling him 'him' and 'her', sometimes in the same sentence."

"Yeah, and I used to not even do that. I'd just call him, 'him'."

"You know it bothers Ranma, though, don't you?"

Akane's face fell. "Yeah, I guess so. He mentioned that you had said something about gender identity. How you had said he might have problems. I guess... To me it's just a bother, just trying to get my head around it. To him it's WHO HE IS."

The girl fell silent for a moment. "So... Does it worry him, then?"

"What do you think?"

Akane scowled at the psychologist's double speak. But she was right, this what about what Akane felt, and Ranma felt, not cold, clinical science. There was no right answer.

"He's pretty upset. His mother obviously wants him to be a man, and he wants her to be proud of him as a man. I guess... do you think he wants me to be proud of him as a man, too?"

Mitaka smiled at her, and Akane shook her head. "Of course he does. He wants me to feel safe and protected. Cared for. L... loved."

"You said it again..."

Akane blushed, looking a bit sheepish. "I did, didn't I? I guess I can't deny it..."

"What about his woman side, though? Obvously you've given thought to that. And now he can't escape it."

Akane nodded. "Do you... do you think I did the right thing? Making him confront his female side like that?" Now she was really starting to get worried. "Do you think I... made it harder for him to be a man?"

"No, although it will be a bit harder. That has always been a part of him since his rape, though, and by suppressing it he was unable to deal with it. By letting it out, even though it has caused him to lose some ground in dealing with his curse, and its effect on his sense of identity, it has gained ground that he would have had to cover anyway."

"The fortunate thing is that you caught him at the very moment he was ready to face that. If you had tried that earlier, it would have definitely caused trouble. So you chose the right time."

"More importantly, he was hit very hard by the realization that his curse cannot be reversed. In many ways, he had managed to cling to his male identity because he convinced himself that turning into a girl was only a temporary thing. He was not ready to deal with what it meant to have his female side coming out all the time."

"If you had not been there, and made the decision you did, there could have been permanent damage. Particularly if his mother had subsequently rejected his girl side, which I consider extremely likely had you not been there."

Akane swallowed. "Thank you, sensei."

"Now, just as important as the effect it had on Ranma is how it effected you. How do you feel about all this?"

"Well, as I told Ranma, I do feel a little uncomfortable. I'm not a... pervert, and I don't want people to look at us and think... improper things. But... I know who Ranma is on the inside. And like I said, sometimes, I don't even notice."

She paused a moment. "Do you think I should? I mean... isn't it... noticable?"

"Not really. I often find myself not thinking about it as Ranma discusses things which are intimate to women. It just doesn't strike me as odd that he would know them. Although, his naivete about such matters is often amusing. And embarassing. But the best way to deal with that is just to forget that... he's a guy."

"Yeah..." Akane agreed.

"On the other hand, there are times when he is unquestionably male even when in his female form. Ranma's gender identity is unique, because he IS both. He's not a girl who thinks of herself as a male identity, or a female identity who is stuck in a male body. He is not even some state between the two; he's both. That makes his condition unique, even in my experience."

"Your situation is unique as well. Although you and Ranma both feel that his identity is male, and thus yours is female, there is still that uncertainty. As long as Ranma feels it, it's natural for you to feel it too."

"Maybe, but as long as it's between the two of us, I don't care. I guess... well, I guess you're saying I have a masculine side. And even though... even though I don't like it when people say I'm violent and a boy hater and I have a foul temper..."

She took a deep breath. "I knew what I was doing when I decided to become a martial artist. It's hurt a lot - I told you about Dr. Tofu, and wanting to be more like Kasumi - but in the end I wouldn't give up the Art."

"Besides..." Akane gave a gentle smile. "Ranma likes the kind of girl I am... that I'm a... tomboy..."

Mitaka-sensei smiled as well. "And do you see how that relates to what you did... with Ranma?"

Akane blushed deeply. "Um... not really..." She blushed deeply enough to show that her words were a lie.

"Are you sure... ?" Mitaka's eyes twinkled.

"I was... um... I was..." Akane touched her fingertips together, unable to meet the psychologist's gaze.

"Go on..."

"I held him... her... like he holds me..." Her face turned totally crimson. "Like... like... a man... would."

"You don't sound as unconcerned about it as you said you were..."

"Well, I'm not, but... I'm still ashamed."

"Don't be. Ranma needed that, and I think you did, too. What he needed, more than anything else, was to know that his female form could be seen as desirable and beautiful, without being abused. And you needed to feel some confidence and strength in your desire to comfort and protect Ranma. And it DOESN'T make you any less of a woman that you expressed that part of yourself."

"You are both, really, very insecure. Ranma has lost a lot of confidence, of course, but in standing up for each other, it has helped both of you. Your control over your temper, and your acceptance of boys has been a positive reinforcement for you. So encouraging Ranma to explore his feminine side helped build your confidence in yourself as well."

"There was something else you did. You encouraged Ranma to enjoy his female side, yes, but you showed him what YOU felt, as well."

Akane nodded. "Yeah, I showed him how I feel... when he's holding me."

"Did you do that for his sake, or your own?"

Akane looked a bit startled by the question. "Well, I guess it was partly for my sake. I mean... I want him to know... what makes me happy. But... I wanted him to... I dunno. Know HOW happy he makes me. I wanted him to feel that too."

"That was important for him, too. Do you know why?"

"Um... so he would know that... he can be a girl and still be a man too? That knowing how a girl feels, he can be more... 'manly'?"

"Ah, that's what he told his mother, then? Do you believe that?"

Akane blushed. "Well... I know he feels... um... 'manly'... when he holds me." She swallowed, and started to feel a tightness in her chest. Her legs shifted. "I feel... um... really... like a woman... when he holds me..."

Mitaka smiled. "That's good. Do those feelings scare you?"

"Yeah... yeah, they do. A bit."

"I would expect so. Don't worry, that's normal. Do you think they scare Ranma, too?"

Akane thought about it. "Well... yeah, I guess they would have to."

"But it's not scary when you're with Ranma, is it? Or at least, not as much."

"No, I trust him..." Akane's mind suddenly shot her an image of Ranma in her lap, nervous and blushing, resisting Akane's gentle guidance to rest her head on her chest. She remembered Ranma's embarassment at touching her breasts, and how she called them "pretty" in that soft voice.

"Oh! You mean I encouraged Ranma to not be scared of touching a woman! I showed him it was pleasurable, and not scary, like those men in the alley!"

"Exactly." Excellent. Akane figured it out on her own. "We've talked about this before, about how Ranma identifies with his attackers, and how damaging it can be for you to call him a 'pervert'. The opposite is also true, by showing him that you trust him, and how safe and protected he makes you feel, you help him overcome that fear, and give him confidence in his masculinity."

"And although Ranma has described how he felt to me, I'm sure you felt it, too. He described your kiss as very different than when he was a man. Before he had felt obliged to be in charge, to be aggressive and passionate. This time, he... she was able to relax, and give in to you. To drop her defenses and open herself up in a way that she couldn't before."

"Of course, I'm telling you this because he told me I could. It really meant a lot to him, and he was very, VERY grateful."

Akane wiped away a tear. "And I was really only able to show him that because he was a girl. Because I was able to hold her and touch her and yet make it not... like... the rape."

"You've done very well, Akane. You've done something for Ranma I wasn't sure you could do... at least not until your relationship got a lot further along. It took a lot of courage to do what you did."

"Thank you, Mitaka-sensei." Akane blushed deeply at the flattery.

"You also had a lot of courage to face Ranma's mother like you did. I'm sure you were scared, and I believe you were pretty angry, as well. But Ranma said that you were calm, and spoke to her about your feelings and Ranma's, and you really helped him keep control, and kept him from going into a panic. He really appreciated that you were there for him."

"I... well... I appreciate that... he's there for me." The blush still hadn't left her cheeks.

"I think you do. You love him, don't you? You're ready to admit that."

Akane nodded, a lump forming in her throat. "Does... does he... love me?"

"Now, now Akane. That's for him to say. When you're both ready to say it."

Akane nodded again, unable to form the words this time.

"The thing is, you've come a long way. It was only a couple of weeks ago, when I had to encourage you two to be intimate with each other, to build up your confidence and help Ranma deal with when he kissed you, while skirting around feelings you both weren't ready to face yet."

"Now, it is the feelings that are out in the open, and the intimacy that we have to be careful with, and skirt carefully around. While taking your relationship to the next step will help you both a great deal, I really did not expect it to happen this fast, and I have concerns that there are things you are not ready for."

"First of all, I must reiterate that you are not to engage in any sexual activity when you are in bed for your Sunday nights together..."

Akane had been anticipating this, and interruped almost before Mitaka-sensei finished. "I wouldn't! There's no way... I... I... couldn't... !" She stammered, her voice flustered and trembling with shame.

"I know, and honestly, I believe you." The woman smiled at the young girl, as she stared intently down at the couch, her cheeks bright red. "The two of you... well, you are both quite naive, but you have shown a restraint that goes beyond simple prudishness. Although the thought of sexuality frightens both you and Ranma very much, for both the obvious reasons and even deeper ones, you've still been remarkably mature and open with each other."

Akane couldn't meet her eyes. "Do... do you think so?" She didn't feel mature. At the moment, she felt like a little kid.

"It's why you've come this far so quickly. Even though you were unsure of each others' feelings, and even your own, you were still able to sense each others needs and insecurities, and offer comfort and support even while maintaining a safe distance. In other circumstances, your denials might have driven the two of you apart."

Akane thought about this for a moment. "That's what your Sunday nights together are for, though," the older woman continued. "It is an opportunity for the two of you to reaffirm your commitment and trust. It is a time to for you to comfort Ranma, and for him to comfort YOU, not a time for physical intimacy. I want to make sure you both understand the difference."

Akane looked thoughtful. "Yeah... I was thinking that it was kind of like when we were sleeping together, you know, when I was holding Ranma in my arms. But we were sitting up, for one thing, and she was sitting in my lap. And there was something... you know, it felt different to me. I was just comforting Ranma, protecting her, and yet it was a different kind of protecting.

"It's like I told Ranma when we had our first date, it wasn't different from any of the other times we'd gone out. But it was different because WE knew it was a date. It felt different."

Mitaka nodded. "That's right. That's why I want to make sure you keep that distinction clear in your mind. You should not engage in any 'petting' or cuddling of a sexual nature while in bed together in Sundays. If you feel the need to do that, you can choose another night."

"Kissing or hugging is okay, as long as Ranma is in female form, and you do not let it keep you from going to sleep. But you have developed a deep trust in each other, in part because you HAVE shared this intimate experience with each other without it becoming physical. I was against this, at first, because of the danger that it could go wrong, but it's allowed you both to demonstrate to each other that you can control yourselves, despite your desires."

"The other reason this is important, though, is that I do not want Ranma to become dependent on sexual contact to overcome his fears of the rape. At this time, it is all too likely that would happen, and while it would build his feelings and trust in you, it would only come back to haunt you in the long term."

She paused a moment to take a breath. "The second thing I must insist on is that if at any time you decide you are ready for sexual intercourse, you tell me first. I will tell you whether or not I think Ranma is ready for that."

"But..." Akane squirmed uncomfortably, wanting to deny the attraction, but knowing full well it was there. And even though she felt she could control it, Mitaka-sensei's words were making her grow worried, for Ranma's sake. The last thing she wanted to do was... hurt him.

"I know. But I have seen it happen with kids your age, all too often. You are sure you have things under control, have every intention of saving that moment for marriage, and yet things get out of hand, and before you know it, you can't or don't want to stop. I've counseled many couples who woke up the next morning afraid, and filled with regret, having to face a future that includes an unexpected baby."

Akane's face went white, and she nodded, numbly. "Now, I'm not trying to frighten you," the older woman said gently. "The last thing I want to do is undo the progress you have made over the last months, both in regards to your relationship with Ranma, and your ability to express your feelings and desires openly with him."

"In fact, what I'm hoping is that the two of you will talk over each new stage of your relationship. You should each be clear about what you expect from each other, and the boundaries you are and are not willing to cross, and make sure that you agree on where each of those boundaries are."

"And I don't want you to suppress your feelings or struggle to hold them back. I have told you that it's normal to have sexual urges and fantasies while sleeping together, and you can enjoy those sensations, and even discuss them. Just don't act on them or let them distract you from your goal of supporting each other. Be aware of what your intimacy is doing to Ranma, and encourage him to enjoy it, without making it too much for him. And I've asked him to do the same for you."

The psychologist smiled at Akane's look of discomfort. "I know that you are still shy about your physical desires, but you have already shared part of that with Ranma. The more you open up to him, and let him know how attractive he is to you, and the things he makes you feel, the happier he will be to show you the same thing."

Akane nodded, her throat growing tight. "I... I will..."

"Honestly, the best thing you can do right now is explore what you can get used to, and learn to trust in each others' boundaries. By becoming familiar with how it feels, you will be ready to take that next step when you are ready, and not lose control because you have been suppressing your feelings."

"Yes, sensei..." Akane looked at the floor, feeling like she wanted to sink into it and disappear.

"Now that we are done with that, let's move on to Ranma's mother. What do you think of her wish for Ranma to act 'manly' around her? Do you agree with that?"

"Um... what do you think?"

"I have some thoughts on the matter, which I have shared with Ranma. But this is about you. What do you think?"

Akane thought about it for a moment. "Well, I guess it frightens me a little. I mean, even though Auntie said she wouldn't hold Ranma to that contract in the first place, she did make it. And so on some level she had to have meant it. So she did want Ranma to grow up to be... 'manly'. I guess that's not too bad..."

"True, but with Ranma's condition, he would naturally feel uncertain about whether he could live up to that standard. And he has expressed an interest in exploring his feminine side. So that would seem to be at odds with what his mother wishes."

"Yeah, it was almost like she was rejecting his feminine side. But then she said she was willing to accept it, as long as he was in female form. And when we went out shopping together, we really had fun. Ranma wasn't really interested in the shopping, of course, but I think he enjoyed it anyway. And I felt really good to have Auntie there. It was like... it was like... she was... my..."

Mitaka waited for her to finish the sentence, but when Akane didn't, she gently encouraged her some more. "Did you think Saotome-sama was rejecting you, too? At first, I mean..."

Akane blushed deeply. "Yeah. When she said that what she had seen... wasn't... um, 'appropriate' for her son, I was really embarassed. I really thought that maybe I had gone too far."

"What do you think she meant by that?"

"Well... two girls... together... most people don't want to see that. I mean, I know about Ranma, and I love him... for who he is inside... but someone looking at us would think..."

She fell silent, her face red. The older woman continued, gently. "Are you worried about that? I mean, you will show affection to Ranma's girl form in public. You may even do it without being aware of his current gender. He might do the same. What will people think of you?"

"Let them think that." Akane's voice became firm with determination. "I love Ranma, and I'm not going to hide my feelings from people because of their... prejudice."

But then she sighed. "I don't want people to think I'm a pervert, though. I guess... I guess they just will anyway. I'll have to accept it."

"Don't feel too bad. You will have to deal with it, but it's not likely to be as bad as you think. As with everything else, as you gain confidence in your ability to handle it, it'll feel better. You are probably already experiencing it at school, to an extent."

"Yeah, but they know about Ranma, so that makes it easier."

Mitaka paused a moment. "What about Ranma's mother? Do you think she is... uncomfortable about the idea of two women?"

"Well, I guess she has to be. But it took me a while to get used to the curse, too. Like Ranma said. Eventually, she'll realize Ranma is the same person, like I did."

"But clearly she enjoys the idea of differentiating between Ranma's male half and his female half. She was very happy to have Ranma play the part of her 'daughter', and you said yourself the three of you had fun. Why do you think she was so open to the idea?"

Akane frowned. She hadn't really considered the idea, and now it confused her. "I... I dunno. She still insisted Ranma be a man. When she was back in his male form, when she came over to visit, I mean, he wasn't acting any different that he usually does, I guess, but once or twice she said something to kind of hint he should be more manly."

"There was one point where Ranma started to talk about some of the... well, bras we bought the day before, and she said, 'You shouldn't discuss such things, son, I'll talk to Akane and Ranko about that later.' Like Ranko was a different person or something!"

"And why do you think she did that?"

"Well..." Akane put a hand to her mouth thinking deeply. "I guess... she's a very traditional woman. I mean, she devoted her whole life to Ranma and his father, and when they left, she just sat there and waited for them. Like a... dutiful wife. So she's traditional, and wants a traditional family. A son, and a daughter. Not a son who becomes a daughter."

"She's a lot like Kasumi. Kasumi is so proper and nice, and her family is everything to her. Auntie's the same."

Mitaka smiled at this. "Kasumi is indeed a strong woman. She's a role model to both you and Ranma, isn't she?"

Akane recalled how Ranma had imitated Kasumi, in addressing his mother in the manner of a proper Japanese woman. "Yeah, yeah she is."

"But Kasumi accepts Ranma as he is, and encourages his relationship with you, and even offers him comfort herself. She encourages him to be open to his female side and express his feelings, even his fears, without differentiating between his male and female sides. Why do you think Saotome-sama is different?"

Akane thought some more. Mitaka-sensei obviously believed she should grasp something, but wouldn't come out and say it. "I... don't know. She obviously loves Ranma and probably feels a little guilty about the contract. Maybe that's why she is being so accepting of... well, Ranko, but that's the only way she can... justify it."

"Do you think she likes Ranko?"

"Oh, yeah. She certainly seems to. Sometimes when they were talking about buying an outfit, or Ranma and I got to talking, her eyes would just light up. I... I guess it was as new an experience for her as it was for Ranma. Then again she never really got to know Ranma, so she's getting to know, well, them both for the first time."

"So you think she likes having a daughter. After all this time alone, she has a girl she can raise as her own?"

"Yeah. That's what she said. She always wanted a daughter."

"And how do you think that makes her feel about Ranma?"

Understanding dawned. "Oh! She always wanted a daughter! She didn't want a son! But Genma wanted a son, and she gave him one. But now she has a daughter... that can take after HER."

Akane smiled widely. "She did say Ranma reminded her of herself as a child. Of course... she sees herself in Ranko."

"But how does that effect her feelings about Ranma?"

Akane's face fell. "She feels guilty. She doesn't want to turn her son into a girl. And she still wants him to be Genma's son, the manly martial artist he would be proud of. She's... she's afraid that if she doesn't encourage Ranma to be... manly... She'll lose him as her son..."

The last piece of the puzzle fell into place. "... and it'll be her fault."

"Very good, Akane. She has a bit of a point, too, although she's going about it all wrong. She is very set in her ways, though, and unlike Kasumi, she is not as young. While you see Kasumi as very traditional, I suspect she is more progressive than she lets on. From what you and Ranma have told me, in fact, she seems to have an almost instinctual grasp of psychology. I consider myself quite lucky that you two have her in your family, as otherwise I might have to watch you more closely."

The older woman smiled. "I would not worry about Nodoka's attitude, as she is not doing any harm, as long as you two don't let her differentiation between Ranma and Ranko effect your thinking. Go ahead and let her cope with the situation as best she can, and don't confront her about it. The best thing you can do is to teach by example. Continue to treat Ranma the same in his female form as you do in his male form, and eventually she will become more comfortable with that as well."

"Do make it clear to her that you recognize her desire for a daughter, and that it doesn't effect Ranma as she fears. Whenever possible, remind her that this is Ranma's decision, and he is doing it for his sake, not hers. Let her get comfortable with the idea that Ranma can explore his feminine side, and yet still be a man. That should be important for Ranma and for you, as well."

Mitaka smiled again. "Now, Akane, there is something else you want to say about Saotome-sama as well. She reminds you of Kasumi, yes, and you were very hurt when you thought she had rejected you. And you enjoyed spending time with her as her daughter. That's because she reminded you of your own mother, isn't it?"

Akane blushed a little, but nodded. "I can't say she reminded me of her, as I don't remember my mother all that well. I always thought of her as like Kasumi, somehow. Although I would guess it was the other way around. I kept thinking, though... this must be what it's like to have a mother... And I.. and I... it really... felt good."

To her surprise, Akane found there were tears in her eyes. "Auntie said that mother was more like me, though... that I reminded her of her. She... she knew my mom..." Akane choked, then swallowed. "...and she had a short temper like me. She said they used to argue sometimes, although Auntie said she would never yell, she was always was in control. But mom was... tough... and she... spoke her mind..."

"It surprises you to think your mother might have been more like you than Kasumi."

Akane nodded. "I find myself thinking, if Kasumi had more of a temper like me, that might be the way she would be. And it makes me want to be more like her. I used to think I had to be quiet and submissive to be calm and gentle like Kasumi always is. Now I... I think maybe..." she wiped her eyes. "I can be that and still be myself."

"Good." Mitaka smiled. "I'll encourage you to keep that up as well. And don't be afraid to be the daughter Saotome-sama has always wanted, yourself. It will take some of the stress off of Ranma, and allow him to be more comfortable in finding his own identity."

"Now, our session is almost up, so I think I will end it for this week. You've made a lot of progress, and I think Ranma is a lot better off than when this week started. As long as you remember what I said about your Sunday nights together, you should be just fine. I would suggest you continue to show Ranma what it is like to be intimate in his female form, as long as it doesn't become disturbing or frightening to you. Well, no more than normal." She smiled as Akane looked at the couch.

"I suspect that you do have a perfectly normal heterosexual identity, just like Ranma does, but it's not surprising that you would question that, given Ranma's unique... condition. Still, even though you have not openly considered the concept of homosexuality, as it is part of that 'perverted' nature of sexuality that so frightens you, you unconsciously seem to have worked your way through the issue and come to terms with it. I would not fear that or try to second guess it. Since Ranma's identity IS a single gender, you can be reassured that is what you are attracted to, no matter which body he is in."

"Don't be afraid to explore the reactions that you have to his female body, and to be open to the differences that you may feel. You actually have a very open attitude towards sex, despite your fears of it. Outside of the damage the Hentai Horde has done, which you are overcoming, you are not judgemental, just... very, very shy." Mitaka-sensei grinned. "It's actually quite cute. For both of you."

"Goodbye Akane. I will see you next week."

"Goodbye, sensei."

Akane joined her boyfriend in the waiting room, entwining his fingers in hers as she took his hands. "Ranma," she said, "Let's go do some shopping. I want to buy something... well..." She looked down at the floor, her cheeks tinged with pink. "I want to buy something s-sexy. Like... those bikinis we were looking at the other day."

Ranma swallowed, and looked down as well. "Oh. For... for me?"

"For both of us." Akane paused a moment, to gather her nerve, and force herself to speak. "I-I want to buy something I would never wear in public, but... but I would like... I do want for one person to see me in." She cut her eyes up, to meet Ranma's. "One person who... likes to look at me. I want to try and look... s-s-sexy, Ranma, and I want you to like how I look."

Ranma struggled to get his heartbeat under control. "I think you are pretty, Akane," he said, as slowly and thoughtfully as always. "I don't want you to be... ashamed. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"I don't feel beautiful, I feel... like a pervert," Akane wrapped her arms around herself. "But I think I need to deal with that. I know I can trust you."

Akane took a deep breath, and gave Ranma a hug, kissing him gently. Then, she ran a finger down his chest, while she looked at the ground. "I want you to try on something, too. In both girl and guy form. I... I want to look at you as much as you want to look at me."

"You do?"

Akane grinned at Ranma's disbelief. Maybe she was embarassed, but at least Ranma was too. That made it a bit easier. "Yep. I like looking at you, too, Ranma Saotome. You're definately worth looking at. And that's true of this body as well."

Akane stared at Ranma, her brown eyes filled with longing and desire, and something even deeper. "You're handsome, too, as a man. I've never said it, but I want to. I want to say it. You're handsome. You're the most handsome man I've ever met."

Ranma gulped. "You... mean it?"

"Um-hum." She let her finger trail down Ranma's chest again. "And in a way... somehow... I feel about your girl body kind of the same way. Even though... you're a girl... you're still Ranma."

She looked into those blue eyes. "So I'm interested in looking at YOU, Ranma. Even though I'm not really interested in girls... and honestly in many ways I'm still really jealous of how well built you are... I still want to pick out something for your girl side, as well."

"Mitaka-sensei did say that I needed to get over my discomfort," Ranma said, "and try to understand myself more. And that it's not... perversion, just normal. Then again," Ranma grinned wryly, "she said that about a lot of perverted stuff."

Akane giggled. "Then let's go." She linked arms with Ranma. "There's a lot I'm not ready for, Ranma, but I'm ready for this. And maybe... maybe I'm ready to tell you some things I couldn't tell you before."

Ranma smiled, a little confused, but happy, as Akane leaned her head against his shoulder. Neither of them said another word, as they made their way out of the office, and on to the streets of Nerima.


End file.
